Black World's God
by WinglessDreams
Summary: AU Based on the premise that Shaoran did not go to Tomoeda, how might have the world changed? That they meet only now – was it truly fate? Or is something else disrupting the logic of what was predicted and decided decades ago?
1. Chapter 1

**Whoops, it's a day late! It was meant to be a Christmas present… but it came late. Ah well, no use crying over split milk. Can't turn back time…**

**By the way, how was YOUR Christmas? Mine was filled with… Canadians. Don't ask. Canadians and reindeer hairbands. Wow, I think I had a good time, looking back.**

**All standard disclaimers apply.**

**Summary: AU Based on the premise that Shaoran did not go to Tomoeda, how might have the world changed? Where truths and half-lies, and a darker threat lurk, bonds form and break. Where no one understands, and no one tries to understand, hearts change and shatter. The famous saying: There is no coincidence, only the inevitability. That they meet only now – was it truly fate? Or is something breaking the logic of what was ****predicted**** and decided**** decades ago?**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 1**

The handphone sitting on her bed blared out the irritating ringtone. The 15-year old girl jolted out of her seat, throwing her pen and earpiece down onto the textbook she was studying.

Sakura swept back her shoulder-length auburn locks and reached for the handphone. She accepted the call with a small sigh and held it to her ear.

"Tomoyo-chan?"

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo squealed from the other end of the line.

"What is it, Tomoyo-chan?"

"I heard… from mother…"

"Ah…" Sakura's eyes dropped to her feet. "I'm sorry I haven't told you about it. I wanted a clean break-"

"It's alright. I understand, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo's melodious voice ran over Sakura's rant. "And frankly, I don't blame you for it."

"Really… Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura let the slightest hint of a smile creep over her lips.

"I don't." And she hung up.

Sakura sighed and dropped the phone back onto her bed, turning back to her table where the math textbook was currently lying open, pages filled with scribbles and attempted solutions.

"_Sakura?"_

"Yes?" Sakura opened the top drawer on her right, fingering the old leather cover of the book.

"_Are you sure? It's still not too late to reconsider-"_

"This is what I want," Sakura insisted in a firm, resolute, and above all, cold voice.

There was silence.

"_If that's what you want, Sakura… But running away won't solve anything."_

Sakura shut the drawer.

**Two Weeks later…**

Li Shaoran stepped out of the back seat of the Li family limousine, clad in the dark school uniform and carrying a small briefcase in the crook of his arm. He slipped on his pair of dark, branded sunglasses, and walked confidently on the pathway to school.

"XiaoLang!"

Shaoran ignored the girl's cry, continuing on his path. Meiling could be a bother sometimes. Even though he obviously was fine on his own, she still pestered him to no ends, trying to mother him like some toddler.

"XiaoLang! Bike!"

He knew that already! He stepped sided to the left, allowing the bike to speed past as if he wasn't there just seconds ago.

A hand grabbed his arm. Shaoran turned back, scowling at his cousin.

"Would you stop it, Meiling! I don't need your help!" Shaoran spat at her.

"XiaoLang… I'm your fiancé, damn it!" Meiling raised her hand to slap him.

Shaoran caught the hand smoothly, pinning it to her side. "That was a stupid childhood promise! It doesn't count!"

"It does to me!" Meiling shouted at his face.

"_Why must you bring up this god damn conversation every day?" _Shaoran pushed her away in exasperation, patience wearing thin. "I'm getting tired of your childish arguments, Meiling."

Meiling huffed and folded her arms. "And I'm tired of you thinking you can handle everything by yourself! What do you think you can do huh, with those eyes-"

"_Shut. Up._"

Meiling froze at the icy cold words.

Shaoran turned away and left without another word.

"Xi-xiaoLang!"

This time, he didn't turn back.

**XxxX**

Sakura walked up the long, wide, concrete path to the school, observing the students milling by from the corner of her eye. She brushed back the stray locks of auburn hair that had escaped from her bun at the nape of her neck. The uniform of Ming Dao High School was fairly simple – a white undershirt with a black blazer and skirt, along with ties. For Sakura's year, the colour of the tie was a dark red.

Blood red.

Sakura tore off the tie and shoved it into her pocket, ignoring the appalled looks by the students all around.

Here she was, in Shanghai.

All alone.

She had arrived in the Chinese city just 5 days ago. It took her 5 days to get her living arrangements sorted out. She was living in the dormitory of the school, which was fairly decent. It took a while for her to get used to the all-Chinese environment, but luckily due to her diligent studying, she had a grasp on the language already.

It's a new start. She wouldn't have to be bothered with… whatever it was in Tomoeda.

The bell rang. Sakura looked up at the sky, fingers curling around her Star Staff pendant in her pocket.

_Even in Shanghai, the sky is still the same old blue… huh…_

**XxxX**

Shaoran sat at the back of the class, on the far left of the classroom, right beside the window, legs propped up on the table and hands laced on his stomach. His eyes closed – like always, and he blocked out the noise and buzzing going about all around him with an annoyed frown on his face. It seemed to be much… _livelier_ today, for whatever reasons he didn't want to know.

"XiaoLang?"

"What?" Shaoran grounded out through clenched teeth.

He heard the empty chair beside him slide back, and a person sat down on the chair.

"XiaoLang?"

"What is it, Meiling?"

"Um…" He could almost picture her twiddling her thumbs, blushing and fidgeting. The chair was rocking – she _was _fidgeting. The chair had a bad leg and rocked madly whenever one shifted their weight too much around. It riled him up so much that he had scared away all the girls that had attempted to sit beside him the past few weeks.

"Spit it out, Meiling." Shaoran, finally having enough, snapped.

"I'MSORRYABOUTTHISMORNING!" Meiling half yelled, bowing deeply. Great, now he could feel the entire class' eyes on them. That girl really gets on his nerves at times.

"…"

"XiaoLang…" Meiling touched his shoulder with a hesitant hand.

He pushed her away with a sudden jerk, causing her to yelp and nearly fall off her chair.

"_Don't touch me!_"Shaoran snarled.

Meiling hiccupped and gave a whimper, "Y-yes… XiaoLang…"

Shaoran huffed and folded his arms, turning away.

Meiling was still sniffing on his right. The noise was so annoying. He was almost tempted to forgive her to stop that annoying sniffle.

But he didn't. The Li family has pride, never mind the sole male heir to the family.

The sliding doors to the class slammed open. Shaoran sneered. Their homeroom teacher was always so loud and boisterous; he got on his nerves as well.

"Class Stand!" The Class Rep shouted out. Shaoran swung his legs down from the table and got up - just as a form of respect.

"Class Bow!" He gave a bow and sat back down heavily on the seat.

"Xu HuiFang, please give out this stack of newsletters!"

"Yes, Ling-_laoshi_!" The Class Rep responded promptly.

"Kang Ren! What's with your hair! Get it trimmed today or I'll do it for you! And wash out that disgusting silver dye! What were you doing? Cosplaying?"

"Eh… ah… got it…" The boy in front of him murmured sleepily.

"First Years, Class 17! The best class of the best in Ming Dao!" The teacher boomed, volume akin to using a microphone, "Be proud, because you have a new Hard Worker joining you in becoming one of the best!"

Hard Worker, the teacher's favourite phrase to describe the students of his class. Ling was a boisterous man with eccentric habits, but he was one of the best teachers in the school. And as expected, he was in charge of the best classes in the school.

"She's from Japan, so her name will be a handful to read!" The teacher coughed and read out, "Kinomoto Sakura! Urgh, that was a mouthful. Her Chinese name is… MuZhiBen Ying… Well, what do you know, Japanese names are really troublesome!" He looked at the door. "Well? Come in, MuZhiBen Ying!"

The door slid opened softly, and the girl stepped into the classroom, closing the door behind her gently. Shaoran's interest perked. She was quiet, unlike _some_ students in his class. She may just prove to be tolerable.

"Good morning, I am Kinomoto Sakura, or MuZhiBen Ying. My Chinese name is a bit of a hassle to say, so you may call me Sakura," the girl said in a soft but clear voice.

"Right… So, *cough* Sakura… where should I put you…" the teacher tapped his pen against the teacher's desk, before slamming the plastic thing down hard on the desk. "Aha! Right there, the last seat on my right… Um, the one beside the bli- uh, Li XiaoLang. Li XiaoLang, raise your hand!"

"There's no need, Ling-_laoshi_. There's only one empty desk," one of the girls at front sniggered. "She must be _blind_ not to see it."

Shaoran growled under his breath. As if his growl had lowered the temperature of the room by a few degrees, the class stiffened and turned their heads to look at the Li heir frightfully.

"Li… is it?" He heard the new girl's voice beside him, on his right. She pulled the chair back and sat on it with a swish of her skirt. The chair failed to rock on the back leg.

"Hn," Shaoran folded his arms and leaned back on the chair.

Softly, so that only he could make out the words, she said, "I'm in your care, Li-kun."

**XxxX**

The lunch time bell rang, and instantly the class exploded into noise. Sakura sighed and laid her head on the table, closing her eyes.

It didn't go as badly as she thought it would be. Chinese wasn't that different from Japanese – just that the lack of hiragana and katakana stumped her for a while. She looked down at her notes. She had understood the entire lesson, but when it came to writing it down, she had unconsciously mixed Japanese into the Chinese notes, making it a weird and confusing mix of Japanese and Chinese. She sighed. The notes would have to be redone when she got back to the dorm.

She was jolted out of her musings when a fist rapped on her table. Sakura sat up straight, looking up at the clique of girls that had gathered around her table.

"Yes…?" Sakura looked at the one in the middle – obviously the leader of the group.

The girl was fairly pretty, with long, luscious black hair flowing over her shoulders and tumbling down to her waist. She was wearing a sequined pink hairband that practically sparkled even in the dark, with matching pink gemstone earrings. Her uniform was two sizes too small, skirt riding up her thighs and shirt stretched over her chest. The girl leaned in close to Sakura, leering at her with a sneer.

"Yes?" Sakura repeated, gripping the edge of her seat with her right hand.

"I'm Gong AnYan, daughter of the CEO of Gong Trading Company, one of the biggest and most _successful _trading companies in Shanghai," the girl said, so close to Sakura that their noses were almost touching.

"Really? For such a big and successful trader, I thought he would at least have the money to spare to get his daughter new uniforms," Sakura replied coolly.

AnYan's eyes bulged, slamming her hands on the table furiously. "Take that back!"

"Take what back? I was merely commenting on the size of your uniform," Sakura replied, leaning back into her chair.

"You-" AnYan snarled. "I'm going to give you a Red Card!"

"Oh? So I have to stand outside the classroom and not participate in the class activities?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Much worse than that!"

"Oh, joy," Sakura rolled her eyes.

AnYan pushed her table until it rammed in Sakura's stomach, eliciting a wince from the girl. She sneered, "You have until After School to get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness, MuZhiBen. If not, you'll have a Red Card for the rest of your life!"

Sakura pushed the table away, bumping it into AnYan's thighs.

"No thank you."

The look on the girl's face couldn't have been any more furious looking.

**XxxX**

Li Shaoran was of course, right in his seat, listening to the… fight… going on. Gong AnYan had been one of the girls after his hand in marriage, but he didn't even need to hear beyond the first sentence she had said to deny her straight away.

Needless to say, his mother had been quite disgruntled that they had lost the chance at forging good ties with Gong Tradings, but she too had been equally disgusted with the girl.

It wasn't that she wasn't good looking. That didn't matter to him. But he still got goosebumps by remembering even just roughly what she had meant in those words.

All he could bear to remember was that it involved sexual activity.

And now, the same girl was standing just half a meter away, picking on the new girl. Kinomoto Sakura had been tolerable. She didn't rock the chair – instead, for the entire of homeroom, she sat perfectly still. When the next period came, she had slipped a wedge of paper torn out from her notebook under the bad leg, thus ceasing all future rocking. She was quiet too, the only sound coming from her being the scratching of a pen on paper. He didn't pester him, or ask him questions, or bug him with pleas of help in regards to the class.

It was as if she wasn't there at all.

Shaoran couldn't have been happier. Finally, someone who valued _peace _and _quiet._

But she had quite a cutting edge to her too. The small argument that had taken place right beside him shocked him slightly. He hadn't expected the new girl to go up against one of the most popular girl in school, much less one from such an influential background. But then again, she was new, and if she wasn't swayed by the riches the girl offered or by the threats made, she wasn't a pushover either.

Kinomoto Sakura… a new enigma.

He'd have to keep her in mind.

That is, if she survived the first week of the Red Card.

As much as he detested the practice of the Red Card, he was curious as to how she would react to it. If she broke, then she probably wouldn't be worth his time.

**XxxX**

The day had gone by okay, in Sakura' view. She managed to understand the lessons, even Biology with all the weird Chinese terms. Adjusting to the environment would take a bit more time, but that was only to be expected.

Currently, she was walking to the dormitory. She was living alone, and she was grateful for that. She didn't want anyone bothering her with their unnecessary chatter. She would also be able to do what she wants whenever she wanted. The freedom given was probably outweighing the potential loneliness by a ton.

Besides, even if she did get lonely, there were always the cards. Her Sakura Cards.

Sakura stopped outside a wooden door. She looked up, realizing that she had reached her room already. She opened the door to her room, sighing, and closed the door behind her. The dormitory room was plain and bare, with only a set of bunk beds, two desks and chairs, a cupboard and a small toilet. Sakura hung her bag on the chair, sitting down by the desk and opening the drawer. She took out the leather covered book and fingered the magic circle on it.

"After everything I've been through… the cards… magic… is the only thing I have left, huh?" Sakura smiled bitterly, hugging the book tenderly.

"_Mistress…"_

**XxxX**

_It was something that had happened many years ago._

"_My son, whatever you do, don't make a sound."_

"_Father?"_

"_Hide! Now!"_

_Tiny legs scrambled on the floor. The boy tucked himself under the bed, stifling his whimpers of fear with a fist in his mouth._

"_Son… I love you…"_

_The boy let out a silent scream, watching as another pair of legs entered the room. Two auras clashed, magic throwing sparks all around the room. The newcomer let out a concentrated blast of magic, and his father dropped to the floor, lifeless._

"_Father!" The boy, forgetting all that his father had said, screamed._

_The next thing he knew, he was dragged out from under the bed, being held up by his collar by an invisible force._

_The boy looked fearfully at the man, the sorcerer who had killed his father, the murderer. He looked up in fear._

"_Another boy? Ah, I sense strong magic. Accursed magic… of that ACCURSED MAN!"_

_He struggled desperately, wanting nothing more than to escape the cold, resentful glare of the man._

"_Then I shall give you a fate… worse than what I have experienced!"_

_The man held out two fingers, magic charging up at the fingertips. The boy looked at the man fearfully, body paralyzed in fear._

"_My name is ****. Remember that, Li Shaoran."_

_The boy never saw anything after that._

**XxxX**

Two teenagers shot out of bed, sweating cold sweat.

**XxxX**

Tomoyo sat beside the king-sized bed, holding the pale hand to her chest. The blue-haired boy was so pale, so deathly pale, that he seemed almost whiter than the chalk white bedsheets covering the bed.

"Eriol-kun…" she whispered, brushing dark blue locks away from the boy's eyes. "Eriol-kun… please, wake up…"

By the door, an older girl stood there impassively with folded arms.

"He's not going to wake up just yet, even with your pleas. He still needs time to recover," Nakuru said in a detached tone.

Tomoyo snorted bitterly. "It's been almost a year. He's never going to wake up."

"If he was going to die, I would have disappeared by now," Nakuru said. In a flash of light, she transformed into the Moon guardian.

Tomoyo winced at the sight of Ruby Moon, turning away to gaze only at Eriol. Only at Eriol and his silent and unmoving body. His body that gave no sign of ever possessing such a thing that Ruby Moon was.

"You can't avoid this any longer, Daidouji. This is part of who we are. This is what Eriol is." Ruby Moon took a step forward. "This is what Sakura-"

"This is what put him in this state!" Tomoyo yelled, standing up. "I know! I know! But it's ... _magic_ that's making him stay this way! If it weren't for magic… if not for magic… then he wouldn't…"

Ruby Moon sighed and reverted to her sealed form.

"If it weren't for magic, he wouldn't be who he is."

Tomoyo narrowed her eyes.

"Don't forget, he is the half-reincarnation of Clow Reed."

With that, Nakuru left the room, leaving Tomoyo alone with the silent and unmoving body of Hiiragizawa Eriol.

**You may have noticed that I have changed several aspects of the story. Just several points I'd like to point out: **

**1. Shaoran did not go to Tomoeda to do card capturing. As to the reason why… I'll explain in later chapters**

**2. YES this may be AU, BUT there's still magic involved. Period.**

**3. Majority of the fic will take place in Shanghai, China. Therefore expect to see Chinese names, Chinese dishes, Chinese whatevernot. For my sake, Chinese translations of the names will be based on the kanjis of the Japanese characters. These will be used only during dialogues (I.e when two Chinese are conversing) as it is … well… set in China, or in other cases, IF I'm used 1****st**** person POV, when the person in question is Chinese. Other than that, the Japanese names are much nicer to read so they'll be used in 3****rd**** person POV.**

**4. Chinese is my mother tongue, and I have a Chinese dictionary at hand, so please DO NOT flame me in whatever aspects of Chinese terms I have used in this fic. If many people review and complain that they don't like to see the PinYin of Chinese terms, fine, I shall change those terms into Chinese characters for you. Believe me, it's easier for me on the eyes.**

**5. This fic is going to revolve entirely on the premise that Shaoran did NOT go to Tomoeda, so certain scenes might change entirely and characters might have developed different personalities due to the presence or absence of … stuff. People change, ok?**

**6. Other than Point No.5, I have also added an alternate reason as to why people have changed (I.e Eriol's current condition). This is a Fanfiction. I repeat. This is a Fanfiction.**

**Ok, that should be it for now. Hope you enjoyed the story. Please do leave your comments in the review section (below)!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 2**

"_You know that the one I love is you! It's not Yue's powers, it's you!"_

"… _I'm sorry… I cannot reciprocate your feelings."_

"…_Is it Onii-san?"_

"'_Kura-chan…"_

…

"…_So in the end… that's what it all comes down to."_

_-0- 0-0 -0-_

_Cries._

"_Even if you don't remember me… Even if I become no more than a stranger… Even if you will never look at me ever again with those warm eyes of yours… I love you, Yukito-san… I love you more than anything in the world! So… please!…"_

_Eyes open._

"_Who… are you?"_

_The card slipped from her fingers and dropped to the floor._

**BRIIINNNGGGGG!**

Sakura shot out of bed, sweating cold sweat and panting heavily. She slapped the clock's snooze button and got out of the bed, making a beeline straight for the washroom.

'_Second dream in a night…'_

She flicked the switch on and stepped into the washroom, leaning on the sink. She looked into the mirror, frowning at her tired and worn out face. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen. She must have cried in the dream.

The tap was turned on. She splashed the icy cold water on her face, shaking her head to get the water out of eyes. Looking at the mirror once more, she sighed at the even more worn out and sodden face.

"Kero-chan?"

"_Yes, Sakura?"_

"Get the cards ready. We're going for a little run," Sakura went to the cupboard and took out a white shirt and long track pants. She slipped them on, clothes hanging a little loose on her slim frame, and hung the pink star key around her neck.

"_By a little run… do you mean…"_

"A run, just like usual, Kero-chan," She swept her hair into a bun and clipped it there securely. "Fly, Dash, Jump, Fight, the usual lot."

"_Lock?"_

"Of course. Don't think I don't know what the so-called 'Red Card' means," She gave a cold smile.

**XxxX**

"Young Master, it's time to wake up."

Shaoran groaned, shifting around on his bed. "Just five more minutes, Wei."

"That won't do, Young Master. It's time to wake up. You have morning exercises today."

Shaoran scowled and got out of bed, yawning openly. He felt around for Wei, who took his arms gently and firmly and lead him to the bathroom. Wei pressed something long, thin and plastic into his hand, and Shaoran raised it to his mouth and brushed his teeth.

"Lady Meiling is making breakfast today. I heard that she was intending to make pork buns for you," Wei said good-naturedly. Shaoran spat the toothpaste into the sink and turned the tap on. Wei continued, "She woke up early to prepare the ingredients, and even went to the market to get fresh vegetables and meat."

Shaoran took the fluffy towel Wei handed to him and wiped his face.

"This way, Young Master," Wei took the boy's arm and led him back to the bedroom. "Today's morning exercise includes 300 counts of jumping jacks, 100 pushups, 250 squats, 200 sit ups, another 150 pushups, 50 tuck jumps, and 3 run-throughs of your katas. Lady Yelan has instructed me yesterday night to increase your training, thus the increase in the amount of exercises." Wei instructed as he assisted Shaoran in changing into loose clothing. "After which, you will be conducting your meditation exercises."

Shaoran bent down to start stretching his legs. "Does Mother not trust that I am working hard?"

Wei shook his head. "I wouldn't say so, Young Master. It would seem that she is worried for you. She wants you to be prepared for whatever may come."

"Hmph," He scowled.

"Lady Yelan is one of the most prominent and powerful Divinators in the Li Clan. Do trust her judgment, Young Master."

Shaoran began his jumping jacks.

**XxxX**

"_SAKURA!_"

"What is it, Kero-chan?" Sakura mused amusedly. "You sound _scared _for the _great_ and _legendary_ Guardian of Cards, Keroberos."

"_YOU'RE A BIT TOO HIGH, DON'T YOU THINK?"_

"Hm?" Sakura took a look down. It was a straight 150 meter drop should she lose control over her Jump. "Ah, the buildings in Shanghai really are much higher than the ones in Tomoeda, don't you think?"

"_TOMOEDA ISN'T EVEN HALF OF THIS HEIGHT!"_

"Calm down, Kero-chan," Sakura chuckled, landing gracefully and lightly on the edge of a tall apartment building before dashing off in breakneck speed with her Dash and bounding off to the tallest building adjacent to it and a good 50 meters away. "I'm used to this. A bit of height isn't much of a worry."

She stepped off the building, cancelling Jump at the last moment, letting herself freefall the 200 meter drop.

"_SAKURAAAAA!"_

Two pink cards flew out of her pocket and spun wildly in front of Sakura. The next moment, she was encased in a soft pink bubble and was slowly floating up.

"Bubble and Float," Sakura smiled, retrieving both cards and slipping them back into her pocket. The bubble floated till it was at the ledge of the nearest building and popped, letting the girl drop lightly onto the roof of the building.

"_Try that again and I'll…"_

"Threatening me, Kero-chan?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. She jumped down from building to building until she was at ground level. "Do you want me to seal you for another 3 weeks? That'll make a total of 2 months without pudding."

"_Sakura-chan~…"_

"I was kidding, Kero-chan. You know the reason why I'm keeping you sealed is because I don't want to release my status as the Card Mistress so openly in an unknown environment just yet. You presence is monstrous, even when containing your presence. It'll be all too easy for sorcerers to recognize you and come after me should I let you out," Sakura touched the star key which was glinting in the morning sunlight. "Just bear with it for a little longer until I clear this place."

"_Still worried?"_

"I sense something ominous. I'm not going to lose anyone, anymore," Sakura spoke with a clear and resolute voice.

"…"

"Let's go back. I should start getting ready for school," Sakura kept Jump and Dash in her pocket and started a light jog back to the dorm.

"_Compared to 5 years ago… you really have changed, Sakura."_

**XxxX**

Shaoran's head shot up in the middle of his 150 pushups.

Wei looked at him quizzically.

"I thought… I sensed magic… a pink aura was dashing past out apartment block…" Shaoran furrowed his eyebrows. "It was so… _strong_… and _different_ from the Li Clan sorcery…"

Wei picked up the phone. "Continue your exercises. I shall consult Lady Yelan."

Shaoran frowned and nodded, continuing half-heartedly at his exercise.

**XxxX**

Sakura pulled the red tie off her shirt and stuffed it into her blazer. She still couldn't stand the colour. Not that it really mattered if she didn't wear the tie but she felt uncomfortable if she didn't abide by the proper uniform code. The school was rather lax on the dress code. Students from all levels were walking around with untucked shirts, loosened ties and altered pants and skirts. She spied AnYan wearing a hot pink and impossibly lacy corset under her talk buttoned shirt. She shuddered in disgust.

"Hey, it's the Japanese girl!"

"Oh~ The one Lady AnYan gave the Red Card to?"

"The one and only! Duh!"

"She's pretty hot if you ask me…"

"Pretty face but rotten brains… Doesn't even know how to respect our Lady AnYan…"

"Hah!"

Sakura's face twitched. Their taunts were weak, but was still hurtful to listen to. There was more to come, she was sure of it, but she really didn't want to think of things like that right now.

'_Compared to what's in Tomoeda… I'd rather take this than go back…'_

She sensed something flying towards her from behind. She swung to the side, letting the egg fly past her and splat miserably on the blazer of the boy in front of her. The boy froze in his steps and turned around slowly.

Li Shaoran.

Oh shit.

"Ahhh! Young Master XiaoLang!"

"Who did it? Who threw that egg?"

"You, girl, why didn't you take that egg for our Young Master?"

Sakura slipped a handkerchief from her pocket and walked up to the brown haired boy, wiping the back of his blazer clean. She then slipped her own off and held it to him.

Shaoran spoke coldly, "What?"

"Exchange. Their target was me. I didn't think it'd hit you instead," Sakura replied honestly.

"… Forget about it. I have an extra one in my locker," He turned away and resumed walking to the main building.

Sakura quirked an eyebrow, slipping the blazer back on while jogging to catch up to him. "Hey, you're Li, right?"

He stopped and turned towards her. "So what about it?"

She carefully phrased the words in her head before saying them out loud, "Are you… by any chance… related to the Li Clan?"

There were shouts behind them. Sakura turned back briefly to catch the sight of AnYan, surrounded by her 'followers', fuming and raging at the sight of Sakura walking just beside Shaoran. She ignored the pathetic sight and turned back to Shaoran.

Shaoran's lips thinned. "I'm their heir."

And he quickened his footsteps, leaving Sakura standing frozen in the middle of the busy school corridor.

**XxxX**

'_I'd never imagine… that the person that was supposed to have competed with me for the Clow Cards… is actually Li…' _Sakura gripped her desk, knuckles turning white. The star key that rested just below her collar bone, hidden from public view, pulsed. She raised a hand to touch the key, dipping her head and sighing. _'If he knew that I've become the new Card Mistress, how would he react?'_

The teacher strode in and the class did the customary 'rise and bow', before settling down for a whole hour of English. Sakura took out her notebook and pen, listening to the lecture halfheartedly. The Li Shaoran beside her was leaning against the window, absentmindedly twirling his pen around. Sakura casted him a small glance.

The tousled brown hair gleamed in the morning sunlight, looking so smooth and silky that her fingers itched to touch it. She turned to his eyes, which were hidden by the dark pair of sunglasses. She never understood why he wore them. It seemed impossible for him to see past those sunglasses.

The pen in his hand dropped. It landed on the floor, rolling over to stop just somewhere in between their two desks.

Shaoran casted his glance around.

Sakura bent down to pick the pen up, holding it to Shaoran.

Realisation suddenly dawned on her.

"Li-kun… are you blind?" She whispered, so softly that even she had a tough time hearing it.

Shaoran froze.

She pressed it to his hand and returned back to her notebook and pen, trying her best to digest the new piece of information. Shaoran set his pen down on the table harshly, turning his body away from her.

'_If he IS blind, then that would explain why he never showed up…' _Sakura smiled forlornly. _'Because the great and mighty Li Clan couldn't possibly send their heir to a foreign country… when he is blind…' _She sneaked a glance at him again. _'But he seems so… able even though he seems to be blind. It's as if… he could sense things… just like a __**sorcerer**__… Then that would mean that the Li heir is actually rather good at magic…'_

The thought rang through her head. _'I __**cannot**__ release my cards anymore in his presence. No, even when he's not here, I can't release them foolhardily like this morning. It's possible that he can sense my magic from quite a distance away. Or maybe, there could be other sorcerers out there watching out for the Li heir. I __**cannot **__let any other sorcerer know that the Card Mistress is in Shanghai… That was so stupid of me this morning… What was I _thinking_?'_

She frowned down at her notebook. She had unconsciously doodled the visage of Kero on the margin of the book. _'But… is it good, lying to him like this? He is a fellow sorcerer, the other candidate for the Clow Cards. He, of all people, should have the right to know who has become the next owner of the cards.' _She traced the miniature drawing of Kero with her little finger. _'Should I tell him? Or should I just keep this to myself? It's only for a few more years… after that I can retreat to the mountains or something and spend my life with the Cards.'_

"MuZhiBen, Ying!"

Sakura stood up immediately.

"Read passage 32!" The teacher ordered sternly.

Sakura looked down at the book, picked it up, and started reading.

"The humble beginnings of the Chrysanthemum Girl's School can be traced to the dedicated committee of 5 ladies which were determined to rescue orphans and poor girls from vice and provide them with care and protection through their education…"

**XxxX**

The lunch bell rang after 5 grueling hours of lessons. Sakura got up and stretched, feeling her back crick and the muscles being pulled after sitting stiffly in her seat for 5 whole hours. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Shaoran push back the chair softly, getting up and leaving the classroom discretely and quietly. Not even his fangirls noticed his departure, except for, of course, Sakura herself.

Now that she had concentrated hard, she could finally sense the pulsing magic of the Li Clan bubbling in Shaoran. His aura was green, a dark and warm forest green. It was pretty to look at, but required a hell lot of concentration to see. The heir had obviously undergone serious and intensive training in the area of magic. Her suspicions were confirmed then. He was the one meant to compete for the Cards. Her shoulders drooped slightly. Things were going to be tough, knowing this bit of information.

She grabbed her wallet and phone, slipping them into her pocket and leaving the classroom. Even though she barely ate anything for breakfast, the things she had learnt in class made her stomach tumble and twist. She had lost her appetite completely. The sight of students queuing up for the snacks at the Tuck shop made her queasy.

Her feet led her up the stairs, until she came to the rooftop. Sakura sighed in appreciation of the fantastic view of the surroundings. The school building wasn't tall, but it was still taller than most of the residential houses in the district. Sakura laid down on a stone bench, resting on her side and playing with her Star key from under her shirt.

Would he hate her? Would he despise her? After all, she wasn't a true blooded sorcerer like him. Would he think that the right to owning the Cards didn't belong to her? Would he look down on her for collecting the Cards and undergoing the Final Judgment without even giving him a chance to compete for them?

It wasn't as if she _hadn't _worked hard for the Cards. Ever since the Clow Cards had been accidentally released when she was ten, she had slaved through the days and even into late nights just to collect the cards back and prevent them from wrecking further havoc on Tomoeda. All 52 cards – she had collected them singlehandedly. She had received the occasional help from Tomoyo (including the sometimes really durable and comfortable 'battle' costumes) and the constant guidance from Kero, but the one actually collecting them had always been Sakura. For a long time, she could only depend on herself to ensure that the cards were safely captured and sealed. It hadn't changed.

When Eriol came to help her transform the Clow Cards to Sakura Cards, it had been the same as well. The first few days were the worst, when her magic powers were hardly enough to sustain Yue, let alone change the cards. The first time she had changed a Clow Card, she had fainted on the roof of the school building and laid there through the night until someone discovered her the next day. Her brother had been furious. Her father, out on an expedition.

There were times when she had failed too. When she nearly died – until the mysterious phenomena had stopped and she had collapsed in exhaustion after spending her magic reserves on trying different ways to stop the incidents from going on. Those memories had left a bitter taste in her mouth whenever she was reminded of her incompetence.

And then, when she finally realized that Yue was about to disappear because of her weak powers, she worked herself two times harder, changing cards every alternate days even though they left her spent. She didn't want Yukito to disappear. She didn't want Yue to disappear. She had to grow stronger. So she forced herself to grow, pushing herself to the limits. Her brother spotted the obvious exhaustion in her after a few days, and after a few weeks, realized what she had been up to, and offered to give his powers to Yue just to sustain him until Sakura could do it herself.

She refused straight away.

It wasn't as if she didn't want his help. She appreciated the thought, and was touched, but she _had _to do things herself. She had never relied on anyone. She never would. She herself will become strong for Yue and for the Cards. Another reason why she refused was because she knew how precious her brother's powers were to him. It was her brother's sixth sense that had informed him of her card capturing expeditions, and it was her brother's sixth sense that had warned him of the dangers she had been facing. Whenever she had came from a particularly tiring trip, he would always make a warm dish for her or a cup of hot chocolate. It was also his sixth sense that allowed him to see their mother, which he treasured so dearly. It allowed him to see the mother that she had so conveniently had no memory off, except for her father's stories and the beautiful pictures of her that once decorated their house.

Her brother had grown to live with his sixth sense, and as much as he was willing to part with it for Yue, she couldn't snatch that precious power away from him. Even though she never admitted it out loud, she had always loved her brother dearly, perhaps even more than he had for her. It was the one thing she could have always prided herself on.

Sakura was snapped out of her musings when a hand was laid on her shoulder. Sakura looked up, seeing a small group of 5 girls, each sporting red ties, standing in front of her.

The one closest to her and had touched her smiled. Bright, straight, white teeth glittered at her. The girl said, "Would you like to have lunch with us?"

Sakura hesitated, thinking it through, before deciding that the girls didn't seem to have any malicious intent on the outside, and agreed with a nod. She sat up and followed the girls to the shade where they sat down in a circle and laid out their lunchboxes in the centre of the circle.

"I'm JingLing, and these are my friends," JingLing introduced.

"JingJing."

"HuiLin."

"YaoYao."

"MeiXia."

"I'm Sakura," Sakura gave a small bow.

JingLing gave a dazzling smile, pushing a lunchbox towards her. "Judging by your empty-handedness, I suppose you didn't get lunch. Here, I coincidentally made an extra lunchbox. Lucky you!"

Sakura accepted the lunchbox with a small smile. She wasn't hungry – far from it. But it would be impolite and disrespectful if she had refused the girl's goodwill. She flipped the lunchbox open, revealing plump white buns.

"They're called _Pau_ over here, or _ManTou_. It's delicious! Take a bite!" JingLing encouraged.

Sakura picked one up and took a small bite. She chewed slowly, before a weird and disgusting taste filled her mouth and she coughed. What was _in _there? It was foul, utterly foul. She took a look at the fillings. It was a mushy grey substance. Meat, from the looks of it. How can meat taste that _awful_?

"Are you okay? I suppose you haven't grown accustomed to the Shanghai tastes yet," Jingling said morosely. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think that it would be that strong for you."

Sakura shook her head mutely, still coughing to get rid of the taste in her mouth.

"Oh, how rude of me!" JingLing gestured at her friends. The one who introduced herself as HuiLin took a thermos out and poured a cup of steaming hot liquid. She passed it to Sakura, who took it apprehensively.

"It's tea, made from the finest tea leaves. It'll soothe your stomach and remove any impurities," HuiLin informed with a smile.

Sakura took a sip.

The cup dropped to the floor and Sakura coughed. Whatever it was, it wasn't tea. The taste was bitter, sour, spicy and above all, acidic. Her throat burned and her eyes teared.

She registered the laughs of the girls all around her. So that was what it was about. She staggered to her feet, stumbling her way to the staircase and made her way down the stairs clumsily. She was growing dizzy and her stomach was twisting and churning. She threw herself into the nearest toilet stall and heaved.

How long she was in there for, she didn't know. The next moment she was aware of the time, two girls had entered the toilet and was gussy upping at the mirrors.

"That was a hilarious prank. I applaud you for thinking up something so _ingenious _and perfect," the first one said. Sakura immediately recognized the voice as JingLing's.

"Oh no, it was nothing," the other simpering voice said. YaoYao.

"What _did _you put into that food? It looks plain disgusting…"

"The buns… ha! I had an old friend working in the restaurant prepare that specially for me. I ordered meat, of course. Rat meat. I also wanted it to be _dead _and _rotten_ before he prepared it. It took quite a lot of convincing to do, and a sum of money, but the results were satisfactory, no?" Sakura felt her stomach churn. Not only was it rat meat, but _rotten _meat too?

"And the drink?"

"A mixture of stuff… Some chilli, red tea, prunes…"

"Hmph, that's hardly anything. It sounds more like a luxurious tea."

"I wasn't finished. I added some straight bleach into it. Just a tiny soup spoon full, nothing much. And I convinced my little brother to give me some of his urine."

Sakura turned to the toilet and dry retched, silently. That was what was in the drink?

"That. Was. Fantastic." JingLing was squealing outside the stall. "You're a genius, Yao. I'll make sure you're rewarded with a fine and luxurious spa and manicure after school, just as you wished."

All that, for a spa and manicure? She was sick to the stomach, not just from the food, but by the cruelty and maliciousness of the student here. How could someone feed _bleach_ to a fellow student? It was beyond comprehension. Thankfully she had turned everything out just minutes after ingesting it, or she would be in the hospital by now.

The clacking of shoes showed that the girls were leaving. Sakura unlocked the stall, stepping out and stumbling her way to the sink to wash her mouth. The putrid taste was still in her mouth, and she felt sick to the core.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to skip a few afternoon classes.

**XxxX**

Shaoran leaned back on his seat, listening to the lecture absentmindedly. He was feeling out of sorts, ever since the Kinomoto girl had discovered his… weakness. Not that he hadn't expected her to find out sooner or later, but the girl was so cut off from the rest of the school that the chances were that she hardly received any gossip and thus, would have to deduce his blindness on her own.

And he thought he was doing well enough too… Must be the sunglasses. The glasses were his father's, and he couldn't bear to put them down, especially after what had happened to his eyes. They were meant to enhance one's other senses and train the heir to grow up with his senses as finely honed as his body. Well, his other four were well honed, all right.

Along with his sixth sense.

His magic was relatively strong, but not exceptionally strong. The Elders had been banking on him owning the Clow Cards, thus increasing his magical powers exponentially. That was until he was blind. Sending a blind child into a foreign country to hunt for cards – even if it could be seen as a character building training, it was still reckless and not to mention, dangerous, for a blind child. There were times when the sixth sense fails you, and at that time, he would be completely vulnerable to the world and to magic. They couldn't take the risk. They had lost their Clan Head, and they couldn't bear to lose their heir.

So he had waited it out in China, Hong Kong, until he got fed up of the Elders' sighs of disappointment whenever he was in their presence. He was working hard, and his martial arts could be comparable to one of the most experienced fighters in the Clan, but somehow that just didn't seem to satisfy the Elders. He worked on his powers, honing his sixth sense until he was able to distinguish a living from a nonliving object, a magical and non-magical being, just by focusing his inner sight. The reason why he had been able to walk around like a normal person was because of that. His sixth sense had become his 'eyes'.

But, in the end, it still wasn't enough. It was as if his blindness had tied a permanent blindfold over the Elders' eyes, forever convincing them that he wasn't ready, wasn't capable, wasn't suitable. It was tiring and frustrating, and when his string of patience snapped, he immediately applied to enroll into one of the best school in China – MingDao in Shanghai. The Elders weren't pleased, but there was nothing they could do. In the end, they had sent Meiling along as well as a couple of hidden observers just to make sure that he was safe and not running away from the Clan.

As if running away was top on his list of To-Dos. If anything, succeeding the Clan and getting his revenge was the one thing he had to do before he died. There was no reason why he would run away. The Elders just didn't understand. No one understood.

And that frustrated him to no end. It felt as if no one in the world really saw him for who he really was.

He glanced to the side, even though it meant nothing to his sightless eyes. The girl wasn't in class. She hadn't been since lunch break. The girls in the class had gone rowdier, and one even tried to take her seat before he scared her off with a cold and icy glare sent her direction. The girl had 'epp'-ed and made off in a second.

He didn't really care. But it was puzzling as to why she was missing from class. Being a transfer student, most likely from a scholarship, it was not entirely a good idea to skip class and tarnish her record. After all, he had heard that if scholarship students' grades fell below 90%, they would be sent home.

Then again, he wondered what she was doing in Shanghai, a great distance away from Japan.

Shaoran leant his head against the window, feeling the warm rays of the afternoon sun touch his messy hair. He was tired, and somehow he didn't think that sleep would help any of that weariness and exhaustion he was feeling.

**XxxX**

Touya sighed as he unlocked the door and stepped into the 3-room apartment flat he was living in. He slipped his pair of black shoes off, leaving them neatly at the door and took note of the other pair of shoes sitting right beside his. Touya cracked a smile and locked the door behind him.

"I'm home!" He called out, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his blue long sleeved shirt.

"Welcome back!" A male responded. "I'm in the kitchen!"

Touya smiled and walked past the living room, into the kitchen. He set his keys down on the dining table, moving over to pat the shoulder of the silverette standing at the kitchen counter, neatly chopping up vegetables. Yukito looked up at the taller man and smiled, setting down the knife and turning to face him.

"Welcome back. How was work?" Yukito smiled at him and asked warmly.

Touya leaned against the counter, prodding the slices of carrots on the cutting board. "Good. Apparently working as Assistant Professor to folklore gives people the impression that I'm some sort of exorcist or something. I was hired to do extra jobs out of lecture time… mostly identifying old artifacts and protective seals…"

"Did they overwork you? Did you have lunch?" Yukito asked worriedly, laying a hand on Touya's cheek.

"Yeah, I did. You're such a worrywart," Touya chuckled. "The pay is rather good too. They give me more for 1 hour's worth of talking than I get for a half a month's worth of lecturing girls who go ga-ga at me." Yukito furrowed his eyebrows.

"You know I don't like the way those girls look at you." He folded his arms.

Touya ran a hand through his hair. "I don't like it either. I just can't help being so handsome."

Yukito glared disapprovingly.

Touya laughed and wrapped an arm around Yukito's waist, pulling him flush against his chest. Yukito blushed, pushing away from the man weakly.

"C'mon, you know that I have eyes only for you," Touya teased.

Yukito blushed, looking away. "Touya… Hey, not here… someone might-"

"The only way someone will see us is if they're in this apartment right here, right now," Touya whispered into the man's ear. "And Sakura isn't here to accidentally walk in; she's all the way in Shanghai."

Yukito sighed and gave in to the man's embrace. "Just so you know, I have dinner to make."

"Take out is fine."

**XxxX**

Sakura's eyes snapped open. She gasped and shot out of bed, sending sweat flying all over the starched white bed sheets. The nurse turned from her desk, looking worriedly at the girl.

"Sweetie, is everything alright?" The nurse got up, walking over to Sakura.

Sakura closed her eyes, nodding quietly. The nurse sighed and sat on the bed, checking Sakura's pulse and temperature. She murmured, "Your pulse is racing. And you're all sweaty. Bad dream?"

Sakura nodded mutely.

The nurse tilted Sakura's face upwards, examining it from all angles. "Eye bags. You're not sleeping enough. Insomnia, maybe? And your cheeks are slightly hollowed. No appetite?"

Sakura looked at the nurse. The nurse smiled at her. "I'll give you something for the sleep. You're a student. It wouldn't do if you don't get enough sleep. The drugs will knock you out for the most bit so you most likely won't dream."

Sakura wiped her head of the sweat, getting up and slipping her shoes on. "What time is it?"

"Around… 5 in the afternoon," The nurse said, taking a glance at the clock on the wall. "School will be out in 10 minutes. You might as well stay and get your medicine. Want some food?"

"No, I'm fine," Sakura forced a smiled on her face, the sides of her mouth twitching. "I don't really feel like eating…"

The nurse got up from the bed, walking over to the medicine cabinet and rummaging through the bottles of medicine. She quickly retrieved a bottle, unscrewing it and popping a few pills out. She sealed them in a tiny ziplock bag and pressed it into Sakura' hand.

"Are you sure you can give this to me?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

The nurse looked around for eavesdroppers, before whispering into her ear, "I'm actually a licensed doctor… just don't let the other hear about this. I hate being called 'Doctor', just so you know."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. The nursed made a zipping motion with her hands. Sakura nodded and zipped her lips.

The 'nurse' sat back down at her desk. "I'll write you an excuse letter for the afternoon and you can post it in the General Office. You missed a whole afternoon of lessons… but I suppose I can write it off as a slight case of the flu. You slept like a log."

"Sorry for the trouble," Sakura bowed. The nurse waved it off.

"So, mind telling me what was the problem in your dreams?"

Sakura gave a sour expression. "It's not something… I'd like to talk about."

"Alright then, I suppose," she shrugged a shoulder.

Sakura glanced at the clock. "I should go. Thank you…"

The nurse grinned. "I'm YiMin. You can call me that. Just YiMin is fine."

Sakura bowed again. "Thank you, YiMin-san."

**XxxX**

'_In the end, the Kinomoto girl didn't come back for lessons…' _Shaoran sighed, picking up his bag – which essentially held nothing except his phone, wallet, and a few pens. He didn't really need anything else. He balanced the bag on his thigh while he rummaged through the bag to get his phone.

"XiaoLang! It's time to go home!" Meiling called out as she literally pranced towards him. Shaoran ignored her, grabbing the mobile phone from the depths of his bag and pulling it out. Shaoran felt for the keypad and dialed the number 1, instantly speedcalling Wei.

"XiaoLang! Don't ignore me!"

Shaoran blocked out the noise, waiting for Wei to pick up. The line connected, and he heard the familiar voice of Wei ask over the other end of the line.

"**Young Master?"**

"School's over. You can come now."

"**I understand. Young Master, I know perfectly when school ends for you. You need not call me to come over. I can meet up with you right after school-"**

"I like it this way. Meet you in 10 minutes," Shaoran cut off, ending the call.

"Xiao-"

"Don't you have club practice today? Wushu, isn't it?" Shaoran cut off.

"I asked for permission to skip. You know, XiaoLang-"

"Just go attend your practice. I don't need you babysitting me."

He could feel Meiling flinch from the cold words. She turned away and stormed out of the classroom.

Finally, now that that trouble was dealt with…

The chair beside him drew open quietly. Shaoran furrowed his eyebrows, sending a cold glare to the person beside him. To his surprise, the person sat down, completely ignoring the glare, much less run in fear of it. There was the rustling of papers, followed by what sounded like the very same papers being shoved into a file and stuffed into a backpack.

"Oi… MuZhiBen, is it?"

There was a pause.

"Yes, Li-kun?"

"Skipping a whole afternoon of classes? That's not befitting of the behavior of a scholarship student."

"Awfully chatty today, aren't you?" She replied.

"…"

"I was in the sick bay, if that's what –ow!"

The smell of iron permeated the air. Shaoran was instantly on alert, sitting up straight. "What happened?"

"It's nothing."

"It's something is I smell blood," Shaoran growled, reaching over to her desk. "What happened?" His fingers touched the spine of a notebook. 5 delicate yet firm cold fingers wrapped themselves around his wrist, pulling the hand back from the notebook. He could feel the warm trickled of blood run down his wrist. Her fingers were bleeding.

The notebook was being flipped open. He could hear her swallow.

"What happened?" Shaoran repeated for the umpteenth time.

"Someone in class just decided to give my notebook a makeover. Nothing much," She replied. "I better get going. See you tomorrow, Li-kun."

Shaoran sat silently in his chair, listening to her get up and push the chair in.

"For the account, Li-kun…" Shaoran looked up. She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, saying, "I didn't stop you from touching my notebook just now because I didn't… I didn't prevent you from touching it because I thought you couldn't see… it. I just didn't want you to get hurt, that all."

Shaoran started. That was… unexpected…

She said to him, "So… goodbye for today, then."

"Kinomoto."

Her footsteps paused abruptly.

It occurred to him that he was speaking in Japanese, but that didn't really matter because she was, after all, of Japanese descent. The other students in the class probably didn't know a thing about Japanese either. That was another point for the language.

"I can call you that, can't I? Kinomoto?"

"That… sure, why not, Li-kun." There was a hint of a smile in her tone.

Shaoran leant back against his seat. Somehow, just somehow… he felt as if that weariness he had been feeling lifted, if only just by the slightest bit. It felt good.

**XxxX**

Sakura sighed into her hand, leaning back into the uncomfortable old chair in her dorm room. The notebook on her desk was propped open, spilling its contents for the world to see.

She hadn't expected it to be that bad. She knew what a Red Card constituted. It was a degrading yet popular practice, even in Japan. Even in her high school. But she was never a victim. She had no reason to be. After all, she was considered to be on the top of the hierarchy, just beneath the idiots who practiced the cruel practice.

She could bear with this. If it was only this, she could bear with it. There were plenty of other things she could deal with, and plenty of things that she couldn't. That afternoon, for example, with her dream of her brother and Yukito. That was the one thing she couldn't stand.

Sakura got up and changed into the same clothes she had worn for her morning run that day. She was going to fun off some steam – this time, really using her own legs to run.

On the table, the book was laid open. Lining the edges of the pages were razor-sharp blades, stuck firmly onto the book. And on the pages, were the words:

**Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die,  
Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die,  
Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die,  
Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die,  
Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die,  
Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die,  
Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die, Die**

Neatly, in straight rows, printed carefully on the pages with crimson red ink.

**-To Be Continued -**

**Whew, that was a long chapter. Ok, just to clear things up, I did NOT just spammed 161 'dies' to boost my word count because even if I did, I wouldn't need 161 words to boost my already 6k plus plus word count for this chapter, quite far from my usual standard of 4k.**

**I mainly focused on the development between Sakura and Shaoran in this chapter, as well as delve a bit into their past and what made them the way they are right now. Of course, you may have noticed the rather intimate relationship between Touya and Yukito. I'd rather not write any more disturbing scenes like that anymore, so I hope it took just that scene to get my lovely readers to understand and get the depth and 'type' of relationship they're in. **

**That's all for now. Sorry if the update for this story came out faster than the others I've been working on. It's new and all but… I like this idea really much. Did I ever tell you that this story was inspired by a song I heard in Taiwan about a blind man and how his girl got to understand his situation and they both fell in love? Well, you do now.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 3**

_This is a dream._

_This is a dream of the past._

_This is a memory._

_This is a memory which I have forgotten._

_No, not forgotten._

_Lost._

_0-0 0-0 0-0- 0_

"_Back again, Kaoru?"_

"_Hey… Yeah… it's been a while, hasn't it?"_

"_Indeed. I've been very busy lately."_

"_So I've heard. These… 'Cards', you call them… are they really, that powerful?"_

"_Why not you see for yourself?"_

_-0 0-0 0- - -0_

"_Those cards are powerful. They're so powerful that they can break bonds!"_

"_Break bonds? Don't be ridiculous, Kaoru. My Cards can't do such a thing."_

"_They can! They're doing it right now! And I thought that all the years we've spent together… all that we've been through together… would mean so much more than this!"_

"_Kaoru… hey-"_

"_Society doesn't approve of me! I'm your childhood friend, and yet all that they think of me when they see me is that I'm just a commoner with a hint of magic! And what do you have to say about that, huh?"_

"_What the others think doesn't matter, Kaoru. If they don't like seeing us together, then just don't let them see us together."_

"_I don't want my relationship with you to be one that I must hide from the world!"_

"_Kaoru, you don't understand. What I have right now-"_

"_No, you don't understand! I… I really thought that these bonds between us… all that we've been through together… would mean so more to you that this, Clow."_

**0-0 0- -0-0**

Sakura's eyes slowly opened. She lifted her head up from the cold surface of the table, looking down to see a little pool of water where her head was. No, not a pool of water. A pool of tears.

"What… was that…?" She asked aloud to no one in particular. Sakura wiped the tears off the table before standing up and giving a good stretch to her back. She had fallen asleep while studying – which wasn't rare. She fell asleep that way most of the tie when she was in Tomoeda. But the furniture in the dorm room was different. She still hadn't adjusted to the height difference of the table, and as a result her back and neck was aching like crazy after falling asleep at the table.

She glanced at the clock. It was only 4.00am. She guesstimated that she had around 2-3 hours of sleep that night.

Wonderful, just wonderful.

But she had taken a nap the day before in the infirmary so that was okay.

Sakura went to the bathroom to wash up. Perhaps she'd just do more exercise in the few hours before she had to report to school. Never mind that she was still aching from last night's intensive and reaction speed training she had put herself through to relieve some stress.

"_Going out _again_, Sakura?"_

"Yeah. Wanna come along?" She was already halfway into the process of stuffing the book into her bag.

"_Not like you'd leave us here in a school where everyone is an enemy."_

"Not everyone," Sakura disagreed.

"_Oh yeah, I forgot that you were all smitten over the Li bastard."_

"Kero!" Sakura exclaimed, blushing. "I am NOT smitten over anyone!"

"_Yeah, you're just a bit dazed around the Snow Rabbit."_

Sakura froze.

"_S-sorry… Sakura… I'll keep my mouth shut from now."_

Sakura silently zipped the bag closed, leaving by the balcony and using Lock to seal the room shut before jumping into the air.

**XxxX**

Shaoran couldn't sleep.

He had been drifting in and out of sleep the whole night.

Why, he didn't know.

"Young Master… are you awake?"

"Come in, Wei," Shaoran called, sitting up on his bed.

The door creaked open and soft and gentle footsteps made their way across the room, slowly approaching Shaoran's bed. Wei sat on the bed, leaving the mattress to sink under the weight of the butler and caretaker.

Wei's calloused but gentle hands travelled on Shaoran's cheek, touching the area just beneath his eyes. He spoke, "Have you not been sleeping, Young Master?"

"I couldn't sleep," Shaoran replied. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, not in particular. I have just received a message from your mother. I though you would have liked to heard it as soon as possible."

"Let's have it," Shaoran said, sitting up straighter. If his mother decided to send a message to him in the middle of the night, it was sure to be something of importance.

There was a rustling of silk and a flare of magic. Shaoran felt around for the source of magic, touching the silk handkerchief by the centre. He concentrated and let out a bit of his aura – forest green – the only colour he had seen in over 10 years. The handkerchief absorbed the aura, and pulsed with warm energy. His mother's aura. He could feel it shaping the handkerchief into the shape of a bird, the signature of his mother.

"_XiaoLang, my son…"_

"Good morning, mother," Shaoran bowed.

"_You look horrible. Haven't you been sleeping?" _Shaoran remained quiet. _"You haven't? I'm disappointed. I thought I trained my heir to take care of himself better than that."_

"The fault lies in me for not taking care of Young Master properly, Lady Yelan," Wei apologized.

"_Nonsense. XiaoLang is nearly a grown man. He can take care of his own wellbeing on his own now. Am I not right, XiaoLang?"_

"Yes, mother," Shaoran nodded. "Forgive me for my impudence, but may I ask why you have called for me so early in the morning? Is it of importance?"

"_Of course it is of importance. I understand that you have sensed foreign magic in Shanghai?"_

"Yes, the magic was unlike any I've ever experienced. It came and went, and came again, like someone was practicing it. But after a while, it vanished. I have not sensed anything since yesterday morning."

"_Very well. Then let me tell you this: Do not bother going after the origin of the magic."_

"Mother! If this person indeed wields such powerful magic, then it must come to the attention of the clan-"

"_If this person can indeed wield such magic, then you are, as you are right now, no match for this person. If it is, as you have described, as strong as you've imagined, then this person could very well end your life so he or she wishes it."_

"He or she? Don't tell me you think a girl could possibly hold such tremendous powers?" Shaoran furrowed his eyebrows. "Men have a greater constitution for magical powers. Women can hardly hold enough their bodies with that kind of powers that I have sensed."

"_But if it indeed is a girl behind that power, then even more so would you not stand a chance. After all, it is a girl who is physically stronger than you and also carrying at least twice the magic you are having at the moment."_

Shaoran's fists clenched the silk sheets tightly. "Mother, it seems as though you are quite sure it is a girl."

"_I did not say such a thing. You merely questioned my words on the ambiguity of the gender of this magic wielder. In any case, this person is far too powerful for you to confront on your own at the moment. I doubt the watchers are able to match up to even a fifth this person as well. Stay clear of the magic user until I consult the Elders on further action to take."_

"I do not like this course of action. The Li Clan is the predominant clan of magic users in Asia, and the top Clan of magic users in the world. If there is a person that can hold that much magic and is not from the Li Clan, then we must find out how that person has managed to gain that much power without the knowledge of the clan. For all we know, this person may have evil intents!"

"_Then pray tell me, son, that if a person stronger than most magic users in the world, perhaps even the strongest, was to have evil and malignant intents, what would be the first course of action the moment this person gains that amount of power?"_

"That would be, of course, to take down the head-"

"_And who is the head right now?"_

"The Elders, you, mother, as well as-"

"_You, Xiaolang. You are the heir, one that is about to inherit the clan in a few years. Furthermore, you have lesser magical powers than this person, and are blind – rather severe handicap despite your profi. If this person really wanted to impose malignant doings on the world, the natural course of action would be to take down the party that would stop it from its tracks, which is us, the Li Clan. And if he or she were to take down you, the heir, then the Li Clan would lose its leader, its power and its morality. This magic wielder has made no attempt at your life, no?"_

"N-no… mother…"

"_Then I would not suspect this person to have malignant intents. At any cost, stay away from this person. Just because he or she has no intents at your life at the moment does not mean that it will remain this was forever."_

"Yes mother," Shaoran bowed. "I shall remain diligent and vigilant."

"_That is to be expected of my son. It is early in the morning. I shall end off here today. And remember my words, Xiaolang."_

The handkerchief on Wei's hand went limp and collapsed on the man's palm. The magic slowly faded into the surroundings, dissolving its aura into the home of the Li heir.

"Young Master, would you like to start morning exercise now?"

"Yes," Shaoran replied quietly, getting out of bed. "Increase the sets. I triple the amount mother has set for me to do."

"Very well, Young Master."

**XxxX**

"_You haven't eaten, Sakura."_

"I'm running late, Kero. I can't be late for class after missing afternoon classes yesterday," Sakura said as she tore off her tie from her neck once again while running across the corridors to her classroom. The bell was about to ring in a few minutes.

"_Serves you right for getting lost in the school grounds!"_

"Sorry, sorry," She let out a chuckle. "I was almost certain that Maze was playing a trick on me."

"_That aside, are you sure you're alright? You've barely eaten anything the past few days."_

"I'm alright, Kero," Sakura insisted, stopping at the backdoor of her classroom. She took a deep breath, smoothed down her ponytail, and slid the door open.

As if a blanket of silence had collapsed onto the class, the entire classroom became deathly silent the moment she had opened the door. Sakura scanned the classroom warily, noting the facial expressions of the students in the class. Something was up. And she found out what was up when her gaze finally landed at the back of the classroom.

She slowly made her way to her desk, the soles of her shoes making soft noises on the floor. She rounded on her desk, running a hand over the mutilated surface.

**Die Die Die!**

**Haha LOSER!**

**S**T! W***E!**

She barely suppressed the flinch that came from the abrasive and offensive words. The words had been written onto the desk with a thick black marker – permanent, most likely. There were also deep scratch marks on the surface, and the desk was wobbly. They must have bent one of the legs somehow. She casted a glance downwards, and found that indeed, one of the legs was bent inwards at an angle. One of the boys must have pounded it in that morning.

She looked down at her seat. It was covered with a white substance – gel-like and semi-translucent. She whipped out a tissue from her pocket and scooped some of the substance up and smelt it.

She dropped the tissue in disgust. It smelt like body fluids. She knew, because she had smelt roughly the same thing when she was doing laundry for the family after Yukito had moved in with Touya and her. She had a rough guess of what it was, and it revolted her.

"Hey, new girl, are you going to beg Lady AnYan for forgiveness now?" One of the boys sitting just two desks away from her sneered. "I bet if you kneel down and lick her high-classed leather boots for the rest of your life, she might just forgive you and pull off the red card."

"Or are you going to stand this kind of treatment for the rest of your life, hm?" Another girl, which Sakura recognized as one of AnYan's lackeys, smirked. "I wouldn't mind, you know. After all, it was quite… _exciting _preparing all that for you, if you get my drift."

Seriously, that girl was only, what, 15? Sakura shot the class a cold glare and hurriedly wiped her seat clean. She didn't want to sit on that thing for the rest of the day, and the teacher was due to come in any moment. She took a brief glance at the table, taking a quick look at the profanities scribbled all over the table.

'_I wonder who is the real slut in this school.'_

**XxxX**

The four periods to lunch break was nothing less of short. Throughout the lesson she had been plagued with hate mail, all coming in in every direction except from her left – except from Shaoran. Which she was glad about. Even though it didn't really apply to him, seeing as he couldn't really see so he couldn't really write anything down properly, but the fact that there was a still a side she could rely on that wouldn't write her hateful messages and disturb her was comforting, despite being only a delusion.

The moment the teacher had left the class, Sakura grabbed her belongings and shot out of the classroom, making a beeline straight for the rooftop. Today, she would rest on the roof of the staircase to the rooftop. Hopefully no one would be able to find her there. Sakura adjusted the strap of her bag, pulling it closer to her body and avoiding the student crowd with all her might. She didn't really want to come into contact with them. No, she saw no reason to aggravate her situation by brushing shoulders with a pissed off student.

The trip there was fairly safe – there were only 3 attempted trips along the corridor where students were milling out of their classrooms, eager to make full use of their one-hour lunch break. For what, she didn't feel like knowing. Sakura burst into the rooftop, checking the surroundings for any other student, and once determined that the area was clear, she tossed her bag onto the roof of the tiny structure covering the staircase, and made a huge jump, catching the edge with her right hand an pulling herself up onto the cement slab. She crawled further in, lying down on the warm surface with her head resting on her bag.

'_It's so quiet…'_

She closed her eyes, focusing on the gentle feeling of the wind blowing against her hair and face like a tender caress. She sighed deeply, opening her eyes to gaze at the light blue sky on top of her.

The door creaked open.

Sakura stiffened, sitting up and grabbing her bag, stuffing it close to her chest.

Someone was pacing away from her. Maybe it was someone coming up to the roof for lunch. As long as she remained quiet, she should be safe.

The footsteps suddenly broke into a run, and before she even had time to gasp, a hand gripped the edge of the roof she was sitting on, and up came a head of tousled chestnut brown hair.

"L-Li?" Sakura gasped. The boy, who had just pulled himself up, looked up in poorly masked shock.

"Kinomoto?" Shaoran blurted out.

"What're you doing here?" They both shot the question at each other at the same time.

"Getting away from the crowd," Then came the reply in unison.

They faced each other for a while in stunned silence, before Sakura let out a soft chuckle. "Come closer in, Li-kun. If not, you may fall off the edge if someone else comes in and surprises you." Shaoran scowled and moved in, still keeping a fair distance from the girl.

Sakura turned away from Shaoran, facing the rows of residential buildings surrounding the school. She closed her eyes once more, listening to the sound of the wind and the soft breathings of Shaoran and her.

"What happened in class this morning?"

Sakura looked behind her. Shaoran was turned towards her, a curious expression on his face.

"Um… that was… just another incident, that's all," Sakura replied nonchalantly. "It's nothing you should concern yourself with."

"People are bombarding our area with pieces of scrap paper which I find very annoying to be passed around during class. That is my problem," Shaoran shot at her sharply. "I find it highly distracting and irritating to put up with such rude behavior towards the teacher and classmates."

"Well, I can't help what AnYan has decreed for the entire school to do! She has practically every student in this school wrapped around her pretty pink manicured finger!" Sakura shot back equally sharply. "It's not like a no-name like me can stop the mass from doing what they want."

"You aren't even trying to stop them are you? Why don't you just go home where you came from?" Shaoran sneered. "It's probably better back where you came from. You won't have to converse with me in such simple Mandarin either."

Sakura flinched visibly, though it didn't matter since Shaoran couldn't see. She spoke in a low, soft tone, "Compared to what's waiting for me back home, I'd rather stay here and take all this mess." Shaoran looked at her, surprise evident on his features. Sakura sighed and laid back down on the cement, curling on her side. "Call it running away, but the things back at… _home _… is something I'd rather not face if I ever had the chance to. The people there are probably better off without me, anyways." The flash of Yukito and Touya in the kitchen sent a pang of pain shooting into her chest. She blinked back the tears from her eyes, curling in even deeper into herself.

Shaoran said nothing, leaning on his palms as he faced the brilliant blue sky.

"Hey, Li-kun…" Shaoran glanced at her. Sakura mumbled, still curled like a prawn, "Is being blind… scary?"

Shaoran said nothing for a while, leaving them both in a stiff silence, until he finally spoke, "I… knew a world with colour and faces. I was not born blind – someone made me this way. That's why… I know what I'm missing out on. Rather than being scared… it's… lonely trapped in a world of darkness only you can see."

Sakura poked her head out of her curl, looking at him. "Are you… lonely?"

Shaoran gave a bitter chuckle. "I've been stuck in a world where black is my only colour for so long… I got over the loneliness after a while." He looked down. "But then, there are some things that remain unchanged."

"You don't like being seen as a blind," Sakura stated.

"Yes."

"Then… Do you hate the one who made you this way?"

Shaoran turned to her, an unreadable expression on his face. He slowly removed his sunglasses and opened his eyes. Sakura couldn't help but gasp. What was meant to be in the eye sockets was now a charred ball of black substance, holding a slight dark brown colour when the light shone on it. Shaoran smiled bitterly.

"If you're still wondering what's the answer… yes, I do hate that man. I hate him with all my life."

The bell signaling the end of Lunch hour rang.

**XxxX**

Somewhere across seas, the bell signaling the end of school rang.

"That's all for today!"

"Class stand! Class bow!"

The moment the teacher stepped out of the room, the room burst into cheers as the end of school hours came into an end. Tomoyo stretched, feeling her back crick from sitting in her seat for so long. She reached down to her desk to pack up her notes and pens, placing them neatly into her back before closing the bag gently and swinging it onto her shoulder. She pushed in her chair, and stepped back, observing her pristine table before nodding in satisfaction and turning to leave the classroom.

"Tomoyo-chan."

Tomoyo turned back, looking at a light brown haired girl with a red hairband standing beside her table, behind her. Tomoyo smiled, turning back around to face the girl, and said, "Naoko-chan."

Naoko casted her eyes down, as if still unsure in deciding what to do, what to say. She opened her mouth, opening it and closing it for a few moments, before finally saying, "Aren't you… going for choir practice?"

"Ah… oh, that…" Tomoyo fingered the strap of her bag. "No, I'm not. I have something else on today…"

"Visiting Hiiragizawa-kun?"

Tomoyo smiled and nodded.

Naoko folded her arms, sighing. "You haven't gone for practice in ages… you either go visit Hiiragizawa-kun or go home to study. I heard that the chairperson was planning on removing you from the list."

"Oh."

The nonchalant response seemed to irk the girl. Naoko stepped forward, "Wasn't singing your favourite thing in the world?"

Tomoyo turned away. "You don't need to concern yourself with my business. I'll be leaving now. Good-"

"Then what about Sakura-chan?"

Tomoyo paused in her steps.

Naoko slammed a hand on Tomoyo's desk. "She left for a few weeks, yet this whole time I haven't heard a word of news from her! I thought at least _you _would have some news on her, but you haven't talked about her in _weeks_! Aren't you the least bit concerned about her? Didn't you even try to contact her? What happened between the two of you, Tomoyo-chan?"

Tomoyo turned to glare icily at her childhood friend. "I told you. Do not concern yourself with my business. What happened between the both of us is between us and us only."

Naoko flinched. "You've… changed, Tomoyo-chan."

Tomoyo walked away, pausing at the door just for a while, saying to no one in particular, "Doesn't everyone?"

**XxxX**

A figure hunched in a dark space, with black mass stretching beyond what the eye could see, chocolate brown eyes focused on a large mirror sitting on the floor. The mirror was close to 2 meters in diameter, with runes and symbols carved onto the edges on the mirror, forming a gothic frame around the pictures dancing on the mirror. The man licked his lips, biting on his lower lip as he watched people in the mirror.

"Soon… just a bit more… just a bit longer… soon, the rift in between you and me… will finally disappear. Soon, my dearest friend… Clow…"

A smile appeared on his pale lips.

"Soon, they will be no more- the abominations that tore us apart…"

**XxxX**

Sakura stared down at her desk once more. Someone apparently saw it fit to dump a pail of fresh paint on it and her chair while she was away. Blood red paint. She flinched at the colour.

"What's wrong, MuZhiBen? Aren't you going to sit down?" One of the students taunted.

Sakura ignored them, dipping a finger into the paint and smelling it. Acrylic paint. That wouldn't wash away from her clothes even if she ran it through the washing machine until the fabric came apart. She only had a few sets of uniforms. She couldn't afford to ruin one just by sitting on paint.

'_What to do… what to do…' _Sakura frowned as she stared her 'painted' desk down. _'I could use the cards, but with Li here, that'd be… not safe… I can't let him know. I can't let him know that I'm the one who took the cards that we were meant to compete over.'_

"What's wrong?"

Sakura jumped as she turned around and saw Shaoran standing behind her, crossing his arms. She hurriedly made way for him, stepping to the side.

"I asked, what's wrong?" Shaoran asked again. His nose twitched, as he caught the scent of the acrylic paint splattered all over her desk. "Is that… paint? What's it doing, all over the area?"

"Li-kun… about that… you don't need to worry," Sakura tried to dissuade him from pursuing the matter any further. "It's just a little prank-"

"I don't care if it's just a prank. These stupid things are annoying me." Shaoran said coldly, reaching past her to grab her chair. His fingers came into contact with the cool, thick paint, and he frowned. "What's this?" Sakura remained quiet. "So, is this their way of pranking you? Dipping your chair through paint while you're at lunch?" Sakura nodded, keeping silent. "How pathetic." She flinched at his cold words.

"XiaoLang, you finally agreed!"

"Ahh he finally went against the girl!"

"That's score for Lady AnYan!"

"Idiots, who said I was referring to her?" Shaoran spat out. The class quieted down immediately. Before anyone could react, he had pulled the chair out and sat on it.

"Li-kun!" Sakura gasped.

"Master XiaoLang!"

"Oh no!"

Shaoran leant back into the seat, soaking his uniform with the red paint. He drew his feet up, resting them on the equally drenched table and soaking his pant legs and shoes as well. He said coldly, "Like I told you, this prank affects me as much as it affects her. I don't care what you're doing this for. As long as it bothers me, I won't stand for it." He took a sniff of the paint. "And as far as I'm concerned, I absolutely _hate _the scent of paint."

Sakura shrunk in on herself. _'Pathetic. Pathetic. How could I let someone take this for me? Much less Li-kun. He has nothing to do with this!'_

"Oi, Kinomoto," Shaoran called out, breaking her from her trance. He let out a small sigh, and said, "Sit at my table."

"Hoe?"

"I want your table. Go sit at my table." Shaoran folded his arms.

"Li…-kun…" Sakura mumbled in Japanese. "I… sorry…"

He turned to her for a brief second, responding in the same language, "…If you're grateful, say thank you, not sorry."

She gave him a small smile.

"Thank you, Li-kun."

**XxxX**

_It's been a while since we've met… I wonder how he is… _

_His house hasn't changed. It's still the same, big, simple house with the same, old, fresh trees and flowers… I bet he must look just the same… Just the way he was so many years back… _

_I want to see him._

"_What do you mean he's dead?"_

"_It's as we've said. The owner of this house passed away years ago."_

"_What? Then what about the guardians? The cards?"_

"…_Excuse me? …What guardians and cards? The owner lived by himself for the last few years of his life."_

"_Lies! Clow was supposed to live for years! For centuries! With his magic, he should have been close to immortality! How could he die?"_

"_I'm afraid I don't get you… Are you alright sir?"_

_I don't believe it. Clow, dead? No… way…_

_I barge into the house. The familiar smell of Clow was gone. His magical presence was gone. It couldn't be… I can't… he CAN'T be dead. Not when I haven't…_

_The cards. I need to find those abominations. If that's the last thing I could do for him, I was going to destroy them till there was no trace of them ever existing in this world. I need to find them. Quickly. He couldn't have been dead for long. They should still have traces of his magic. _

_But no, they're nowhere to be found! I flipped the entire mansion upside down. I just… couldn't… find it… Why? Why? Why are those things still living when he's dead? I can't accept this. I _will _find those cards, even if it takes me an eternity to do it. Those cards can't stay asleep forever. Knowing that fox-faced bastard, he probably arranged for a successor. I'll wait. I can wait. If it means destroying that rift, I will wait for centuries just to do it._

_But I can't live for centuries. My powers aren't as strong as Clow's. I won't live that long. I'll die! I'll die and turn to dust, just like Clow. I can't die! I can't die before I destroy those things. I mustn't die. I must find a way. I need to find a way… what should I do… _

_What should I do, Clow? Please tell me, what should I do? You were always the one who told me what I should do. Tell me now, Clow, when I need it the most. Tell me now! Please…_

_Where are you… Clow?_

_0 0-0 – 0 – 0 0_

Tears leaked out from Sakura's eyes as she slowly opened them. She sat up slowly, pushing the blanket aside.

It had been the same person in the previous dream… the same person that was talking to Clow in the previous dream was the one in her latest dream. She recognized that voice – male, young, and Japanese. His name was Kaoru, and from what she had heard, he was an old friend of Clow.

But why was she dreaming about him now? Clow died a long time ago, and if that person was Clow's friend, he should have died by now. Unless…

_I mustn't die. I must find a way. I need to find a way…_

Sakura gasped. '_No way… He found a way… for real?'_

Her hands felt for the drawer at her desk, pulling it open and taking the leather-bound book out of the compartment. She sighed in relief as it appeared to be unharmed, and opened the book to look at her pink Sakura Cards. She took the entire deck out, going through the cards one by one to check that all the cards were there. All of them. From Windy to Libra. Her back hunched in relief.

"_Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"_

"Kero-chan… Sakura Cards… Everyone…" Sakura smiled as she laid the book on the table, beside the cards. She fingered the metallic ornaments on the cover of the book, feeling the moon and the sun as well as the star.

"_Mistress… What happened?"_

"Yue…" She let out a pained smile. "Did any of you know… someone named Kaoru?"

There was silence.

"_Where… did you hear that name?"_

"So it's true. He is Clow-san's old friend, isn't he?" Sakura pulled out her Star key which she had always hidden under her clothes until now. "He knew Clow…"

"_Sakura-chan, Kaoru-san was a childhood friend of Clow, a distant relative of his, and also a sorcerer."_

"_I remember him as well. His magical powers were weak in comparison, but the two got along well. I would say that he is Clow's very first bosom friend. I didn't see much of him, however. In fact, from the time the very first Card was created as well as the when the Guardians were born, I only saw him twice."_

"_You're right, Yue… Now that I think of it, it's strange that Clow's dearest friend only visited him twice in the later half of his life."_

"I see…" Sakura closed her eyes. She began arranging the cards and book in a circular formation, with the book at the very centre, followed by the 6 main cards – Earthy, Firey, Watery, Windy, Light and Dark. Then she started spreading the cards about the 6 cards in a star formation . When she was done, she picked up the Star key and dropped it on top of the book.

"_Sa…Sakura?"_

"I'm sorry… I think you all will have to be sealed for a while longer," Sakura murmured. "I… it's not safe anymore… I can't risk losing you all. I'm so sorry that I'll have to seal you all together…"

"_Mistress, does it have anything to do with Kaoru-san?"_

Sakura gave a silent nod.

"_Sakura… Kaoru-san can't possibly be still alive."_

"I know. I know that… how can someone like him still be alive even after Clow Reed, the greatest sorcerer in the world, has died? But I can't stop worrying… I can't help panic when I get the feeling that I may lose you all!" Sakura clenched her fists. "It'll be alright. After I make sure that this is no more than just a false alarm, I will release you all straight away. So… in the meantime… please…"

"_Mistress, it's okay."_

"_Yeah. Like Yue said, we don't mind. It's not like we're being separated or anything. If anything, we'll all be closer to you than ever. Isn't that right?"_

The cards on the desk glowed gold in agreement. Sakura smiled and nodded her head, tears leaking out from the corner of her eyes.

She raised her hands, letting it fall, arms straightened, until it was just above the book and the Star key. She breathed in and out, letting her body relax, until she began chanting, _"Sakura Cards, Keroberos ,Yue. Abandon your present form and unite, so that we may be together as one. You are one entity, as I am your one mistress. I call upon your brilliant powers as your mistress - unite and be with me as one!"_

The magical circle, traced with a delicate golden line, expanded from beneath her. Her powers flared, and the cards and book dissolved into tiny balls of light, merging together as one giant flaring ball of light, before slowly descending into the Star key. The Star key floated up, star spinning rapidly in the circle ring, before there was a blinding flash of light, and in its place was a similar pendant, only bigger this time with two gems, blue and red, on the front and back of the golden star. On the pink ring were dozens of tiny pink gems, each one representing a card. The newly formed key slowly drifting down into Sakura's cradled hands and she clenched her fists around the warm key, holding it to her chest.

"Everything… will be alright," Sakura said to herself, conviction showing.

**XxxX**

"Xiaolang."

Shaoran inclined his head and nodded at his cousin. "Meiling."

"…Explanation."

"For what?"

"This afternoon."

"No explanation needed."

"Xiao!"

"NO explanation needed, Meiling," Shaoran repeated, bowing his head once more as he resumed meditating.

"Xiaolang… continue acting like this and it would seem as though you like her."

"…"

"You're the heir to our clan. You understand, don't you? You're not allowed to marry outsiders, much less a Japanese girl! I'm your fiancée!"

Shaoran shifted his body so that he was facing away from Meiling. Meiling grabbed his shoulder, pulling him to face her.

"Why are you sacrificing yourself for that girl? You've known for only a few days, for God's sake!"

"What I do is my business, Meiling, and you are supposed to stay out of things that do not concern you," Shaoran pulled Meiling's grip off his shoulder. "It was my decision to do so, and if you're my fiancée, you should respect me enough to respect my decisions."

Meiling pulled her arm out of Shaoran's grip. "I… Nothing good will come out of this, Xiao. You'll never be allowed to be with her, if that's what you're planning. Continue with that behavior and I will report this to Aunt Yelan!"

Shaoran turned away once more, ignoring the black haired girl.

"I'm being concerned over here!"

Shaoran's breathing slowed, and he entered the meditative trance.

Meiling stormed away in frustration.

Shaoran sighed as he meditated. He understood what Meiling was getting at, and what she thought from an outsider's view, but he didn't think that his relationship with Kinomoto would grow to that extent just yet. Like she said, he only knew her for a few days. He could hardly consider her a friend – he hadn't had a friend since… forever.

But… a voice at the back of his head whispered how lucky he would be if what she predicted actually… happened.

He let a small smile to appear on his lips.

Perhaps… this relationship would turn out to be one of the best ones he had ever developed so far in his life.

**XxxX**

**TBC**

**Ah… It's over… Hm… somehow when I was reading through it, it seemed as though this chapter was really short. But the word count over here says it's 6k words… again… so maybe it isn't that short after all. **

**More info on the mystery character… I named him Kaoru… I always though Kaoru was a nice name, just that I've seen too many female Kaorus than male to cement a male antagonist's image into my head just yet. Just a bit more… hm, doesn't help that the only male Kaoru I've known so far is the Angel in Evangelion. You know… the albino cute guy with red eyes and in the anime he was-**

**Let's not go there.**

**Hope you enjoyed his chapter****. And wishing all the Chinese out there a Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing you all prosperity, longevity, and plenty of **_**hong bao **_**money! That's if… you're still single… And not on the other end of receiving those fat and red _hong bao..._**


	4. Chapter 4

**Whoah… Ok, I know this took a while to churn out. I've been reading and re-reading it over and over again and I just don't feel satisfied enough with what I've written, thus the delay. I still think this chapter was a bit on the substandard side… the same going for all my other stories on a side note… but it was the best I could do and I really don't want to incubate it for a month and come back to edit it because that would take a lot of time… For you readers, of course. Enjoy!**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 4**

_This is a memory._

_This is a memory of one of my most precious people in the whole world._

"_Sakura-chan!"_

"_Tomoyo-chan?"_

"_Sakura-chan! Guess what? Guess what?"_

"_Hoe – Tomoyo-chan? What's going on?"_

"_That is… I… Sakura-chan, I confessed to him!"_

"_HOE? Y-you did? And… what did he say?"_

"_He agreed to date me! Isn't that great, Sakura-chan?"_

"_Ah… Of course that's great, Tomoyo-chan! That's great! Eriol-kun will surely make you the happiest woman on earth!"_

"_Thank you Sakura-chan! Ah I'm so happy right now! I think I'll go home and start making more outfits for our dates. I'm going to film our dates, down to every last move he makes! Ja, Sakura-chan!"_

"_Ah… Okay, Tomoyo-chan…"_

**XxxX**

Sakura stepped into class that morning, looking around warily. To her surprise, her desk was clean and paint-free, and had nothing scribbled on or anything dumped on at all. She blinked owlishly at the lack of… participation of the class. Feeling her classmates' eyes on her, she slowly made her way to her desk, feeling the smooth and unblemished surface. The desk was new, as was the chair. Someone had swapped the ruined set for a new one.

There was a shadow cast over the desk. Sakura looked up into AnYan's cold gaze. AnYan grabbed Sakura's shirt, pulling her close so that she could snarl right in her face, "Listen girl. This all is just because XiaoLang has taken an interest in you and has demanded that we stop. If not for him, we'd have you out of this school by the end of today! We don't want a repeat of what happened yesterday – we don't want our Young Master to go through something so embarrassing and degrading as taking your punishment for you. So we'll stop. But bear in mind, Japanese nerd, that we'll not forgive you, even if XiaoLang has an interest in you. Once that interest ends, you'll be out of this school in no time."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, snatching her shirt out of AnYan's grip and neatening it. "I'll bear that in mind." AnYan sneered and stalked off, hips sashaying as she trotted past a row of boys. Sakura watched the boys drool over the girl's butt with disgust, and turned back to her desk.

Was it really over? It seemed too good to be true. But she knew better from experience to let her guard down because of that. Sakura sat down, pulling out her notebooks and revising for the next class.

For now, just let her savor the life that she had thirsted for ever since applying for the opportunity to come to Shanghai.

**XxxX**

Touya stared at a picture of his mother, protected by the clear plastic sheet of the photo album. He had not seen these pictures for a while. Nadeshiko was a beautiful woman, with an alluring quality to her. Her hair, wavy and long, seemed to fall perfectly without her even trying. Her eyes, which had been passed on to him and his sister, was bright, clear and big, and showed every ounce of happiness shining within them, which was a lot. She seemed so carefree in the picture, so at ease, so peaceful…

When Nadeshiko had died, his father Fujitaka had sunken into a lapse of depression. He lost interest in work, began skipping dinner, and did nothing but stare at pictures of his wife the whole day long. It was only when Sakura had launched into his lap one day bawling her eyes out that he finally snapped out of his depression and resumed taking up the position of the father and sole breadwinner of the family. But he never forgot about Nadeshiko. Instead, he had bought dozens picture frames, framing each and every one of Nadeshiko's pictures and placing them around the house as a constant reminder of what he had lost, of the empty position in the family.

Everytime he saw the pictures of his mother, he was hit by a stab of pain in his chest. His mother was kind and beautiful and the very mother he always had, and always will, wish for.

His sister, however, was different. She had never really gotten to know their mother. She had only heard stories about her from Fujitaka and Sonomi – Nadeshiko's sister and Tomoyo's mother. Sakura never knew what she was missing out on – a curse and a blessing at the same time. A curse, because she would never remember the feel of their mother's warmth on her skin. A blessing, because she would never know the pain of the lack of that very warmth. That was why, whenever he saw Sakura cheerfully greeting their mother's picture at the dining table every day, he felt that momentary blast of jealousy and anger.

Now that they were living alone, Touya had kept all the pictures of their mother away in a single album. The only picture that was out in the house was a sole picture of Nadeshiko and Fujitaka, both in their wedding outfits, in Sakura's room. Sakura had conveniently placed the photo frame face down when she left. That was one less thing he had to deal with.

Touya sighed and closed the photo album, tucking it away in the bookshelf of the living room of their 3-room apartment. That was one thing he had put behind him. What mattered now was the present. The present and his Yukito. That was all that he needed. The past, he would forget.

**XxxX**

Sakura stared incredulously at the sheet of paper in front of her.

"And that concludes our briefing! All rise, Hard Workers!" Their too-boisterous homeroom teacher boomed out. The class stood up and bowed as one, before breaking out into a flurry of chatter. Sakura sank down into her chair, still staring at the sheet of paper on the desk.

"Oi, Kinomoto, why so quiet?" Shaoran asked from beside her.

Sakura shook her head, saying in a faint voice, "A trip to HongKong… that was… not what I expected for class vacation."

Shaoran snorted and chuckled, "MingDao is a prestigious school, so you know. The people here are filthy rich and have expensive tastes. A trip to HongKong is considered… cheap, in their tastes."

Sakura grimaced. She set the sheet down. "Too bad then. I suppose I'll be in the dorm for the two weeks of no lessons."

Shaoran sat up, turning to her incredulously. "Why?"

She folded her arms, glaring hard at the paper. "I don't have the money to pay for the trip, that's why. I'm on a scholarship here. I don't exactly have the money to fling around to go for a vacation in HongKong for two weeks when the money can be used to feed me for 2 _months_."

Shaoran folded his arms. "That's it?"

Sakura looked at him curiously. "Yeah. Why?"

Shaoran sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair. "Just wait. I'll tell you later."

**XxxX**

"He's not waking."

"I know."

"Why isn't he waking? He's healed, isn't he? The wounds are gone."

Tomoyo took a pale and boney hand, caressing it softly. Naruku stood behind her, arms folded and expression dark.

"His body is still adjusting."

"Adjusting from what?" Tomoyo spat out. Naruku flinched at the suddenly mean demeanor of the girl.

"Daidouji, Eriol is adjusting to the life force of the other half of Clow. If you don't get what that means, it means that he is still trying to synch with the other half's life force so that he can then sustain himself with that force. Once he can do that, he will wake up."

Tomoyo brushed back Eriol's dark hair, feeling the pale and cold skin under her touch. She closed her eyes bitterly, kissing his forehead.

"Daidouji."

"Leave us." Tomoyo said in a steely cold voice.

"You know I won't do that."

"Leave."

Naruku transformed into Ruby Moon. Tomoyo turned away from the Guardian. Ruby Moon walked towards Eriol's bed, leaning over Tomoyo to touch Eriol's hand. Tomoyo drew back defiantly, creating as much distance between her and the magical creature as possible. Ruby Moon looked down at the teenage girl, dressed in rich beautiful clothes of lilac and lavender, her waist length luscious dark hair done up in a elegant bun, before commenting, "You've grown ugly, Daidouji. I'd have preferred Eriol to be in love with the past you, not the ugly woman you are right now."

Tomoyo rounded on the lady, glaring angrily. "What do you mean by that?"

Ruby Moon ran a finger down Tomoyo's jaw, sliding down smoothly on the unblemished and fair skin, causing the girl to shudder from the contact.

"I mean exactly what I just said."

You are ugly the way you are right now.

**XxxX**

"Absolutely not."

"Meiling-"

"XiaoLang, you know what this act means, don't you?"

"Meiling-"

"How could you? And a direct request to the Elders too?"

"Meiling! Shut up!"

Meiling closed her mouth, affronted. Shaoran was gripping her arm tightly, so tightly that it was almost painful.

"Meiling. Listen to me."

"What else do I need to hear from you? I warned you, I've told you. This is not acceptable for the future heir. What else do I need to do in order for you to get that?"

"Meiling, you're not my retainer, or my mother. You don't dictate what I do."

Meeiling drew a hand back and slapped the boy on the cheek. Shaoran flinched, raising a hand slowly to touch the reddening cheek. Meiling grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him furiously, saying, "I'm looking out for you, Xiao, because you obviously _can't_! You're not behaving rationally! Are the teachings of the Elders not enough to drill the fact into your head – the fact that you will only be able to marry people from within the Clan? Have you forgotten that _I _am your fiancée? Do you have any idea how insulting this is to me? Why are you still behaving like a child, Xiaolang?"

Shaoran pushed Meiling away forcefully. Meiling stumbled back, looking at her childhood friend in shock.

Shaoran snarled, "_Don't, _think that you own me, Meiling. I'm aware that I'm blind but that does not make me a lost lamb neither does it make you the dictator of my life. I don't give a damn what you think. I'm doing things my own way, and if they don't see me fit as the next Clan Leader, then so be it." He stormed off to his room, leaving Meiling standing there, shell-shocked and dumbfounded.

It was only then that she realized that tears had been running down her face. Meiling wiped them off, cheek by cheek, staring at the moisture on her finger. She clenched her fists, closing her eyes and letting the tears leak out through the tiny gaps through her eyelids.

"What have I been doing wrong?"

**XxxX**

Shaoran sat on his bed, his mother's handkerchief in his hands. He sent a sharp pulse through it, making the handkerchief infused with his aura. As if the silk cloth was a puppet, invisible strings pulled at the handkerchief, shaping it into the shape of his mother's signature – the bird.

"_XiaoLang, what a surprise."_

"Mother." Shaoran bowed respectfully.

"_So, why am I receiving such an unexpected call from my dear son?"_

Shaoran licked his lips nervously. "Mother, there is a thing I wish to… ask your assistance for."

"_Oh? Pray tell me son, what do you need your dear old mother's assistance for?"_

"I wish to be able to provide the funds for a classmate to go to the HongKong trip."

"… _I see. And who is this… classmate?"_

"Her name is Kinomoto Sakura. She is a transfer student from Japan, and is studying here on a scholarship. She currently has no means of attending the class trip due to financial constraints."

"_Oh? And why, of all people, are you requesting for me to support her class trip?"_

"Mother, I wish merely for you to give me permission to access my account to provide her the necessary amount for the school trip. The amount will be paid by me, and me only."

"_You still have not answered my question, son."_

Shaoran clenched the handkerchief. "She is… special."

"_Special how?"_

"She does not treat me like the others do. She talks to me… just the way I want others to. She does not pity me, but rather empathizes. I… she… I want to… repay her for that."

"_I see. That's good for you, XiaoLang. Very well. I accept your request. You may do as you wish."_

Shaoran let out a sigh of relief that he hadn't known that he was holding. "Thank you, mother."

"_One condition."_

Shaoran froze.

"_I understand that you too will be going. I shall write in to the principal to request that you three are allowed to skip the programs organized, and instead spend the 2 weeks in the Li manor."_

"T-three?"

"_Yes, of course. You, Meiling, and the girl that you have taken a liking to. I'm sure the Elders would like to see her as well."_

"Mother-"

"_I was joking. The Elders are out in the mountains meditating. They won't be back for 3 months."_

Shaoran sighed.

"_But I do expect to see that girl. I'll leave the other necessary paperwork to you, son."_

"Thank you, mother," Shaoran bowed once more. The handkerchief flapped in his arms for a while, before the magic faded and like a puppet with its strings cut, it collapsed unceremoniously on Shaoran's palm. Shaoran clenched the handkerchief, a brief feeling of exhilaration running through his veins.

'_I… did it!'_

Shaoran let a rare smile grace his lips.

**XxxX**

The lady stood on the water, feeling the ripples from dripping water from up above tickle her feet. The rich silk robes of red and white brushed against the crystal surface of the liquid. She looked down at her reflection – her Asian face, with almond shaped brown eyes, slightly tilted upwards at the ends, and full, pink lips that had a small but natural pout. Her dark red hair was done up in a half-ponytail, held up with a golden ornament. She lifted her hands, seeing the smooth pale and fair skin, nails decorated with a dark crimson paint.

"My, my, you're still as beautiful as ever."

The woman turned. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the man standing behind her.

"Kaoru… you're still alive…?"

"I could say the same for you," the man stepped forward, revealing the similarly Asian face, rich chocolate eyes set upon a sickly pale face, and long, straggly black hair done up in a low ponytail, held together with a black cord. He was dressed in a yukata of dark blue with tiny diamonds decorating the sides. His feet, bare, was bony but clean. The man looked hardly older than 30. The woman gazed at him, taking in his look.

"Your eyes… they've changed."

"Oh?" Kaoru touched the side of his left eye. "How so?"

"They aren't yours."

"You were always the smart one," Kaoru smirked. "No wonder Clow was so attached to you, Madoushi."

The woman narrowed her eyes, mouth opened in a snarl. "Don't you dare say that man's name to my face so casually! What right do you have to even speak his name?"

"Clow is dead, Madoushi."

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's true. He has been dead for a long, long time."

"No… no, no, no!" She clutched her head and dropped to the floor and onto her knees. "He can't be dead… he can't be dead! You're lying! No, Clow… He… I…"

Kaoru took a step scrambled back, screeching, "Stay away from me!"

Kaoru sighed, folding his arms. "Alright, if you say so. But just so you know… Madoushi, his Cards are still alive."

She looked up slowly at the man. "Cards…? His… Clow Cards?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yes. They're living under a new master, but they're still alive. Don't you find it infuriating, that when that man dies, he should at least take everything along with him and not leave bits and pieces behind? After all, all these pieces are making it a heartache for everyone else."

Madoushi covered her mouth with her hands. "That means… they're still out there. Pieces of Clow… are still out there."

Kaoru nodded.

She looked down into the water, staring at her reflection. "After so many years… I've finally found something that will connect me to Clow…"

Kaoru stepped back into the shadows.

"Kaoru."

Kaoru paused, looking at the woman who had turned to stare at him over her shoulder.

"You and I are the same."

"Oh?"

"We both have broke the rules. Therefore… I expect I'll be seeing you over there soon. We cannot escape time, Kaoru. Sooner or later, the price for committing such a crime will come back at us in full force. Just remember that. None of us are immortal."

Kaoru laughed, and stepped back into the shadows, disappearing into the darkness like he was never there at all. Madoushi returned to the reflection in the water.

"Like everything in this world… both you and I were destined to have returned to the cycle so many years ago… To be with Clow…"

**XxxX**

"Are you serious?"

"I'm always serious, Kinomoto."

"This is… too much to take from you! I cannot-"

"You're not taking if I'm giving. You haven't been to HongKong before, right? It'll be a good experience for you, especially since you're new to China."

Sakura stared incredulously at Shaoran. Shaoran folded his arms and faced her back. They were on the roof of the rooftop staircase – their usual spot.

"But…?"

"There is a condition."

"Ah… and what is that?"

Shaoran rubbed the back of his neck. "That… my mother has requested that… you stay in the Li manor instead of joining the rest of the class in the trip. That means to say, we – you, Meiling and I, will be going to HongKong on our own personal trip instead of the class trip. Therefore, I'm paying for all your expenses and the like, but it won't necessarily be the same price as the school trip or whatever not."

Sakura looked at him in shock.

"That's alright with you, right?"

"Li-kun… That is… I'm… Thank you so much, Li-kun!" Sakura hugged him tightly, sending him falling backwards onto the cement slab. He grunted as his back hit the hard surface.

"Ki-kinomoto!"

"I've always wanted to go to HongKong! Thank you, Li-kun!" Sakura squealed, hugging Shaoran even tighter. Shaoran blushed a deep shade of red at the close contact.

"Kinomoto!"

"Hey, do you hear something coming from the roof?"

"Eh? I thought that was the wind or something…"

"Let's go check it out…"

As if a switch had been flicked on the moment the voices reached their ears, Sakura wrestled Shaoran across the floor, muffling his words with her hand as she struggled to keep themselves as quiet as possible. The door to the roof creaked open, and two sets of footsteps came up to the roof.

"Eh, there's nothing here."

"Hm, that's strange."

The two continued walking. It was only then that Sakura realized that they could be seen if someone walked straight to the end of the roof and looked up. Hastily and silently, she pushed Shaoran down until they both were flattened against the roof top. The two lingered around the roof for a while, before one of the suggested,

"Hey, let's go already. I'm hungry."

"Yeah, sure. Turns out that there was nothing here after all."

The door to the roof closed and they were left alone in silence. Sakura released her grip on Shaoran, sighing in relief. Shaoran picked himself off the ground, disgruntled that he had been handled so crudely by the girl.

"What was that all about?"

"Heh heh… sorry, I did what I had to. It wouldn't be good if someone found out about our hiding place," Sakura chuckled, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "I had a lot of practice so I know what to do… Oops, I shouldn't have said that!" Sakura blushed furiously.

Shaoran chuckled. "What, you were some delinquent in the past?"

Sakura blushed. "Not exactly. I was often caught up with stuff in school during my Elementary years… I was trapped in school in the middle of the night a few times and I didn't want the security guards to find me and report me or anything… so I got good at hiding."

Shaoran whistled."Wow… that sounds fun. I'm envious."

"Really? It wasn't that fun though. The nights were cold and I couldn't sleep in case the guards came by once again and found me…"

"But I never stayed overnight in school before… that kind of school life… I'm envious," Shaoran said wistfully. Sakura opened her mouth, but closed it before saying anything. She looked at her lap, contemplating for a moment, before finally saying,

"Hey, Li-kun, I think… I'd like to take up your offer on that."

Shaoran looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Yep. In exchange… stay with me overnight in school!"

"Eh?"

**XxxX**

This was reckless. Utterly reckless. He shouldn't have agreed to this in the first place. He knew he shouldn't have. It was a ridiculous request on her behalf. He couldn't think of any way that this was a good idea. He should back out. Right now. Before his legs slipped out of the window and made their way to school.

His legs went over the window ledge and he hopped onto the parapet, where a staircase leading down to the backyard was. He slowly walked down, careful not to let the staircase creak. Wei would be out in seconds if he made too much of a racket.

"Great job, Li-kun!"

Shaoran jumped. He hadn't sensed the girl at all.

"Kinomoto, don't creep up on people like that," Shaoran hissed. Sakura laughed softly, taking his hand and leading him through the darkness.

"Gomen, gomen!" Sakura laughed as she pulled him along, keeping him close to her as they travelled across the roads in discreet alleyways towards the school. "Are you excited?"

Shaoran scowled. "No. This has got to be the worst idea in the whole world."

"Aw, don't say it that way!"

"We should turn back right now."

"If you really didn't want to do it, you wouldn't have stepped out of your room in the first place."

"It would be inappropriate for me to leave you out in the cold and dark."

"You're so kind, Li-kun."

Shaoran blushed, suddenly very glad for the darkness because she wouldn't be able to catch his glowing red face. "D-don't say things like that!"

"Did you know that kind people tend to react flustered when they are praised for their kindness?"

"KInomoto!"

"We're here." Sakura stopped, causing Shaoran to bump lightly into her back. He stumbled back a bit, but regained his balance quickly.

"So what now?"

"We sneak in!"

"That does not sound good…"

"Don't worry, I've tried out the route already!"

Shaoran groaned. He held Sakura's hand firmly. "So where?

"Um… Over here!" She gently tugged him hand, leading them a few paces to the right. She set his hand down on a ledge, which seemed to be a broken down section of a brick wall, letting him feel the length and width of the ledge. "I'll go over first, and you'll follow me after. Is that alright?" Shaoran nodded mutely. His hands felt the rough edge, feeling the bumpy and uneven cold surface beneath his hands. The ledge wasn't too high – just below his waist level, and was large enough for him to sit comfortable on it. He felt Sakura move forward, jumping over the ledge with surprising ease and lightness in just two steps and a leap. He then felt her grasp one of his hands, coaxing him over to do the same.

Shaoran took a deep breath, and swung one leg over the ledge. He sat on the ledge, pulling his other leg over to the other side, before gently dropping down to the grassy floor. Sakura whistled, "Wow, you're amazing at this. I think you can graduate from a novice to a journeyman already." Shaoran quirked his lips.

"I could say the same for you. What were you in the previous life? A gymnast? Or a ninja?"

"I was actually a cheerleader back in my hometown."

Shaoran didn't miss the bitter edge to her voice.

"Come on, let's go. I want to do a few things before we turn in for the night."

"Turn in for the night? We aren't staying here, are we?"

"Well, I asked the nurse to lend us her infirmary for the night, so if you don't want to go back, there's always the nurse's room where we can sleep."

Shaoran shook his head in disbelief. "You really thought everything through, didn't you?"

"Yep! Now let's go!"

**XxxX**

"Clow is dead. The Clow Cards are still alive… the Cards… I…" Madoushi tightened her grip on the silk ribbons in her hands. "I… won't… I can't accept this. He left… without saying goodbye!

"I… The Cards…"

_Give in to your desire. It's no sin to think that way._

"No!" Madoushi screeched, burying her head in her hands. "I can't! Those cards… are of unimaginable value to him! I can't… take them from this world…"

_You are too soft. How could Clow have liked such a weak-minded woman like you?_

She froze.

_After all that he's done, that's all you can say? That they're just too important to him to be destroyed?_ _He's dead, and has been dead for years. Do you think he'd feel that pain from losing his cards? The dead can't feel anymore._

Madoushi nodded, unaware that she was slowly being sucked into the cursed words.

_What's there to stop you from killing them? You deserve a resolution, after all. Don't hesitate… the opportunity is coming, and then will be the perfect chance to end this once and for all. Now come, and give it in. This is your heart's greatest desire. You and I both know what you want, hm? For what he's done – it's time for your revenge. Vent it all out, take it all out. Take it all out on those very things he treasures the most._

A tear leaked out from her eyes, and the same eyes dulled as they were took over by the malicious intent of her inner self.

"Clow… Cards… I… will not forgive you, Clow!"

**XxxX**

"Where're we going?"

"That's a secret!"

"Do you know where we're going?"

"That's a secret!"

"…You're lost, aren't you?"

"Hoe…" Sakura laughed sheepishly. "It's really dark in the school and I couldn't really tell the corridors apart just yet… But that's okay."

"Huh?"

"I suppose we'll start here." Sakura let go of his hand and fumbled with something. He heard the rustle of cloth, and the sound of it being tightened against each other. Shaoran frowned, reaching out to touch Sakura, and came into contact with the smooth but thick material of their school tie.

"Kinomoto?" Shaoran questioned hesitantly. "Are you…"

"I blindfolded myself."

"Why?" He was puzzled. It seemed like a ridiculous thing to do, especially since she was the one who could see. Or, at least, the one with the better chance of seeing in the darkness. "What are you doing?"

Sakura felt around, feeling for Shaoran's shoulder, and placed two hands on the broad and muscular shoulders. She squeezed him gently, and said, "Today, you'll be the one leading me, Li-kun. Let me have an experience of what it means to live in your world."

Shaoran lifted his hand to touch her soft, smaller ones. "This is…"

"I want to know what it's like being you, Li-kun."

'_She wants to understand.'_

Shaoran chuckled, "So this is a case of the blind leading a blind?"

"Mou! You know your way around the school well enough! After all, how else would you get around the school every day without someone escorting you?"

"Touché."

"Isn't it? Now come on, the infirmary is on this floor…"

**XxxX**

Shaoran felt for the door, hand knocking into the round metal doorknob harshly before he grasped hold of it and turned. The door swung open, and he stepped into the sharp antiseptic smell of the infirmary. He felt around for the light switch – for Sakura – not knowing where it actually was.

Sakura placed a hand on his arm, pushing it back down gently. "It's alright. I can manage." There was the rustling of cloth, and it sounded like she had pulled off the makeshift blindfold. Sakura took his hand and led him over to one of the beds, letting him sit down on the rough sheets. Shaoran groaned as he massaged his bruised arms. It wasn't as though he was entirely bad with his sixth sense. On the contrary, he was excellent at it, to the point where he was able to fight hand to hand with another member of the Li Clan. But for some reason today, he seemed to have lost his concentration. All he could think of was the warm fingers on his shoulders, and he had accidentally ran into a few doors and pillars on the way to the infirmary. He pressed a finger on a bruise on his wrist and grimaced. That was a bad one.

"Here, let me," Sakura whispered, lifting his bruised arms up and dabbing some oil on the sore spots. She rubbed the oil in, soothing the aching in his bruises with her gentle yet firm fingers. Shaoran couldn't help but moan in appreciation. Sakura chuckled.

"You're good at this," Shaoran commented.

"I had a lot of experience in dealing with injuries," Sakura replied. "Ano, Li-kun, I didn't… mean for you to get hurt. I just thought…. I'm sorry…"

"No, I was just a bit distracted today." Shaoran touched her hand. Sakura paused in her rubbing, fingers ghosting over the bruises. He held her hand, squeezing it slightly and saying, "You… don't know how much this means to me, Kinomoto."

Sakura paused. She stood up, pushing him onto the bed and then walking over to the next bed and sitting down on it.

"Ne, Li-kun, being blind… was really scary for me."

Shaoran tilted his head towards her direction. "Was it?"

"Yeah. The darkness… where there's no light… Like a world where black is the only thing you know and see. It was lonely… and scary." He could hear her curl up on the sheets. Shaoran kicked his shoes off and laid down fully on the bed.

"I get what you mean."

"But then…" Sakura shuffled around on the bed. "It felt as if you're the only one in this endless world of black. Like you dictated everything – except your sight. Like you were a little God in your own little world. Like you owned this tiny space you could call your own, where nothing tainted the blackness of what you see. Pure black."

Shaoran pulled the sheets around himself. "But… A world where only you live in is just…"

'_Lonely.'_

**XxxX**

Sakura didn't sleep. She laid on the hard mattress, gazing up into the dark ceiling of the infirmary. Sighing, she looked at her watch. It was almost 4. They should head back soon, or when the morning guards come in it'd be a problem to get out of the school undetected.

Sakura slipped off the bed, smoothing the sheets out and arranging the bed so that it looked as though it had never been slept in at all. Then she put on her shoes, and softly treaded her way to the medicine cabinet at the corner of the room. She glanced at the still form of Shaoran, before opening the cabinet. The hinges creaked ever so softly, and her breath was caught in her throat. She glanced at Shaoran again, making sure that his form was still unmoving and quiet, before turning back to the cabinet.

Her hands ghosted over the labels of the bottles of medicine there, stopping at one particular bottle. She took it out, careful not to shake the bottle, and went over to the nurses' table. She slowly poured out an amount of the pills, and then transferred them into a clear plastic bag. She checked the label of the bottle once more, before screwing the bottle shut and returning it to the cabinet.

Shaoran stirred on the bed. Sakura quickly slipped the bag into her pocket and went over to the boy.

"Li-kun?"

"Hn…" Shaoran mumbled. "Time…?"

"Almost 4. We should start heading back."

Shaoran groaned and sat up, stretching his arms and back. "Sleep much?"

"Yeah, I did," Sakura replied. She pulled him up and then helped him smoothen down the sheets. "Let's go then."

They made their way out of the room. Sakura paused at the door, glancing at the room for a short second before sliding the door close and walking alongside Shaoran. She smiled at him, though he couldn't see it, and said, "So… Thank you for fulfilling such a willful request of mine, Li-kun."

"Hn…" Shaoran replied.

Sakura looked at him. "Li-kun?"

"Hn?"

"Not really a morning person, are you?"

"Hn."

Sakura glanced at his tousled hair and weary face, and broke out in soft laughter. "You're cute when you're half awake, Li-kun!"

"Hn…"

"Ha ha!"

"Hn…!"

**XxxX**

Sakura tossed the tie onto the bed, pulling the packet of pills out of the pocket and throwing it onto the bed, beside the tie. She stared at the both of them.

Her hand touched the red tie.

It then travelled to the packet of pills. Sakura grimaced. She really shouldn't have used the little stay-over at school to smuggle sleeping pills from the infirmary, but she hadn't been sleeping properly at all the past few days and she felt like her body was about to break down soon. It was a last resort. She used the stay-over as an opportunity to steal the pills which she needed. The thought brought a sour taste to her mouth.

"_You didn't use him, Sakura-chan."_

"I did," Sakura croaked out.

"_It just so happened that you could take them. Your first priority was to get to know that Li bastard more."_

Sakura shook her head.

"_Sakura-chan…"_

"I don't know… what my motives are anymore…" Sakura whispered out, a tear sliding down her cheek. She scrunched the bag up in her fist, trembling slightly.

"_You're kind, Sakura-chan-"_

"No! If I'm kind… If I was kind… I…"

"_You have yet to do any unkind act. Not one, since I have met you. You're the kindest person on earth, Sakura-chan."_

"I'm… not kind at all," Sakura denied, saying it more to herself than to Kero.

"… _Then show me something that will tell me that you're not."_

She was at a loss for words.

**XxxX**

**That was… not very good to me… The scenes were too short and too many... But maybe you'll have some different opinions… **

**Well, a lot of things happening in this chapter. That was one of the reasons why I wanted this one to be good. Kudos to anyone who can spot the absence or presence of stuff that happens in canon! I haven't been very clear about certain things for a while but it'll all be explained in later chapters (I hope…)**

**I know I've been updating BWG more than my other fics… Sorry…**

**And for that, I have nothing to say in my defense.**

**Please do leave your comments in the review section below! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Gahhh why am I working on BWG when I have… 3 other stories I haven't updated in ages? And why I am even writing when I have 2 projects and half a dozen essays and assignments which are all due on the same day? Well, I slaved over this chapter instead of studying so please do enjoy!**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 5**

_Yet another dream._

_They seem to be plaguing me recently… as if Dream has been permanently activated since I moved…_

"_Sakura-chan!"_

"_Ah… Rika-chan!"_

"_How're you doing? Why are you up here on the roof alone?"_

"_Ah…"_

"…"

"_Ano-"_

"_I understand, you know?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Aha ha…What you're going through… I understand. Well, I just heard recently that Terada-sensei is… is having a fiancée."_

"_W-what? ... Rika-chan, are you sure?"_

_The metal band on her finger was twiddled with._

"_Mmhm. It's Yamagishi-sensei, the English teacher for the seniors. They're planning to get married in December… But well… You know... Even though this ring was most probably just… given on a whim… but… I… really did like him, you know?"_

"_Rika-chan…"_

"_So, what Sakura-chan is going through… I totally understand! … You're not alone here, ne, Sakura-chan? I'll be right beside you. And you'll be right beside me too!"_

_There was a hug. Sakura leaned into Rika, confused as to what she was supposed to be feeling._

"_So… Just lend me your shoulder for a while. I'll be quick."_

_They cried together for the rest of the afternoon._

**XxxX**

Sakura pulled the suitcase along with her, meandering through the crowds of students in the airport terminal. She looked around, searching the place for the familiar head of brown hair. Spotting him right at the corner, Sakura smiled and picked up her pace, all but running towards the boy that was waiting for her.

"Li-kun!"

"Ah… Kinomoto," Shaoran nodded. Sakura noticed an elderly man was standing behind him, holding two suitcases. Sakura hesitated, before going into a deep bow at the elder.

The man smiled kindly, saying in a rich Chinese accent, "Good morning, Ms Kinomoto. I am Wang Wei, Young Master Xiaolang's personal assistant. You may call me Wei." Sakura smiled at him, giving him another bow. Wei nodded at the girl's politeness. "I shall be handling the checking in. Please do wait here while for a while. Your passport, Ms Kinomoto?" Sakura handed him her Japanese passport, and with that, he strode off quickly towards the counter.

Sakura looked at Shaoran nervously. "Um… Isn't checking in supposed to be done personally?"

Shaoran shrugged. "Wei has his ways. All we need to do is wait for him."

"Um… and where is Meiling-san?"

"Right here."

Sakura jumped and spun around, meeting the eyes of the girl standing right behind her. Meiling had her hands crossed, long black hair done in two ponytails flung back over her shoulder. She was wearing a Chinese styled shirt and pants, made with fine silk embroidered with golden flowers. Sakura casted a glance at her own simple calf-length cargo pants, turtleneck long-sleeved shirt and old coat, uncomfortable at the obvious difference in class.

"Um, Meiling-san-"

"Call me Li," Meiling cut right through Sakura's word fiercely, like a hot knife in butter. "You have no right to call me by my given name. And don't add all those funny things at the end. It annoys me."

Sakura fidgeted nervously. "Um, Li… N-nice to meet you. I'm-"

"I know who you are." Meiling snorted and shoved right past her, walking to Shaoran and calling, "Xiaolang, aren't you excited to go back home? I mean, it'll be great if it was just to _two _of us back at home with your family. We haven't seen them in a while, ne?" Meiling hung onto Shaoran's arm like a typical fangirl.

Shaoran grunted, folding his arms and turning away.

Sakura looked at the two of them curiously. "Li-kun, do you have a big family?"

Shaoran nodded. "My mother, Li Yelan, is the head of my clan. Apart from that, I have 4 sisters – Fanren, Futie, Feimei and Xiefa. My father died… when I was young."

Sakura flinched. "Ah… I'm sorry to hear that, Li-kun." Shaoran shrugged nonchalantly, so Sakura went on, "But you have a really big family! I can't imagine what it'd be like to live in such a big family like yours! I think you're really lucky, Li-kun."

Meiling huffed. "Xiaolang missed out his other relatives. I'm his cousin, from his father's side, though in a big clan like ours, everyone is related." Sakura nodded in understanding. Meiling glanced at her from the corner of her eyes. "So?"

Sakura looked at Meiling curiously. "Um, what?"

"What about your family?" Meiling demanded.

Sakura looked down and fumbled with the ends of her coat. "Oh… that. I have an older brother – Touya. He's working right now in the university in the folklore department."

Both Shaoran and Meiling waited for her to continue. Sakura looked at him questioningly.

Shaorna sighed. "And your parents?"

"Ah…" Sakura looked down. "My mother died when I was young, so I never knew her. My father… he died a while back. But I still have my grandfather and aunt – Daidouji-san. They've been taking good care of me since Tou-san died."

"Liar."

"Huh?" Sakura looked at Shaoran who had suddenly spoken up.

Shaoran turned to her. "The two you mentioned – they haven't been really taking care of you. I could tell that from your tone. And if they really were, why are you living by yourself in the dorm instead of someone taking care of you? You haven't visited family either. You're a bad liar, Kinomoto." Sakura flinched. Shaoran turned away.

Meiling fidgeted. "So… you're an orphan… are you?"

Sakura shook her head. "Touya-nii-san is my guardian now. He's back at Tomoeda working though."

"But that still doesn't make up for a parent."

Sakura turned away, hugging herself. "I… had Tou-san with me for most of my life. The memories I've built with him… they're enough. It doesn't matter if I can't have any more of them. I… I'm satisfied with what I have, and though it may seem cold and uncaring, Tou-san… would be happier in the other world with Kaa-san."

Meiling stared at Sakura blankly. Sakura looked down at her feet. Shaoran let his hands dropped to the side. The three of them stood in an awkward circle for a few minutes.

It was Wei's return that broke the silence. Wei came back, holding four passports in his hand with tickets sticking out of each of them. He smiled at the three of them, saying, "It's been done. Shall we leave?" he three of them nodded, eager to escape from the awkwardness between them.

**XxxX**

The three of them were silent as they travelled to HongKong. The three teens sat in the First Class seats, right beside the windows, and Wei hovered just behind them. Sakura spent the ride staring out of the window, looking out at the clouds as the plane shot through them. Meiling watched shows on the screen, stoic as she stared critically at the poorly made American-based martial arts movies and made snide comments under her breath. Shaoran on the other hand had crossed his arms, head dipped and eyes closed, as if he was half-sleeping half-meditating. Wei looked at the three amusedly from behind, though at the same time couldn't help but wonder what had transpired between them.

When the plane finally touched down, the three of them shot out of their seats immediately. They went by immigration in record speed, and were in the limousine taking them to the Li manor by the time some of the other students had started getting off the plane. And then, throughout the half-an hour long drive, the three was as silent as ever, no words exchanged between them.

At this point, Wei was growing worried. Shaoran, he could understand. The boy was quiet to begin with. Sakura, he was sure, was equally quiet. Even if she was half as boisterous as Meiling, Wei didn't think that Shaoran would have befriended a loud girl like that. But Meiling – the boisterous lady could hardly spend a few minutes, let alone hours, keeping silent. She didn't even talk to Shaoran throughout the journey, which Wei was fairly certain she would do. Something sensitive had happened between them, and was occupying their mind, refusing to part. Wei wondered if they could meet the Lady Yelan in their current state.

The limousine finally stopped outside a grand white mansion on top of a hill. They all got off, the three native Chinese gazing in appreciation and happiness at being back home. Sakura stared at the mansion, stunned by the grandness and beauty of the structure.

The dark brown oak doors opened, and four girls came tumbling out. The atmosphere changed instantly, as the four each attached themselves to the four newcomers. Sakura found herself being pressed into a woman's chest, face buried in her breasts as the lady attempted to suffocate her to death by hugging her so tight she could barely move. From the muffled shout of Shaoran, she would guess that he was experiencing the same. Huh, at least she wasn't alone in her suffering.

"Xiefa, she is suffocating."

The woman let go of Sakura immediately, and Sakura coughed and gasped to catch her breath. Once she was sure she had enough oxygen in her lungs, Sakura looked up, and saw a beautiful lady standing at the door. She was tall, taller than Wei, and was donning beautiful white and purple robes which Sakura guessed was the traditional Chinese Hanfu. Her long ebony hair was tied up into a high ponytail and held together with a golden ornament. The lady all but glided on the porch, and the three beside her stiffened up immediately at the sight of the lady. Sakura gulped and stood still, watching the lady descend the steps to where they were standing.

"Xiaolang, my little wolf, how have you been?" She spoke, Chinese accent distinct. Sakura marveled at her voice – soft, yet commanding and firm, like a perfect female leader.

Shaoran stuttered, "I've… been well, Mother."

Mother? So the beautiful lady was Li Yelan, Shaoran's mother. Sakura gulped again. She was so beautiful – more beautiful than any other woman she had seen. And yet at the same time, the presence she held was intimidating, captivating. And beneath the surface, Sakura could feel the strong and intense magic within her. It was far stronger than Shaoran's, for sure, though it was not tilted towards the attacking aspects of sorcery like all male sorcerers tended to, but rather the divination side. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows slightly. Prophets and Dream Walkers were a force to be reckoned with. You never knew what they knew – and what they knew could be dangerous and at times very good blackmail material, from what she had heard from Kero. She hoped that Yelan was none of them. Her hands were already shaking.

Yelan then turned to her. Sakura breathed in deep and bowed at the waist, saying politely and respectfully, "Good afternoon. My name is Kinomoto Sakura; I'm from Tomoeda, Japan. Thank you for having me over." Sakura slowly got up from her bow, and looked apprehensively at the woman. She met the dark eyes of Li Yelan, feeling her appraise her from top to bottom. Finally, Yelan gestured for them to move into the house and swept back into the mansion.

Sakura let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She turned to Shaoran worriedly, and asked, "Li-kun, is your mother… displeased with me?" Sakura hoped she wasn't. After all, a woman with such powerful magic… would only detect that she was holding the Cards. She could only hope that Yelan wouldn't be rejecting her for possessing the Cards.

Shaoran scowled. "Are you that worried?" Sakura nodded mutely. Shaoran sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "If Mother was really that displeased, she would have shown it or have asked you to leave straight away. She's fine with you, though I do agree that her reaction was quite unexpected."

Sakura raised a questioning brow. "How so?"

Shaoran shrugged. "I expected her to talk a bit more… like what she sees in you, her readings… Basically she normally profiles every guest she sees and voices them out – their personality, their traits, and maybe sometimes what she sees they'll be doing in the future – the important stuff that makes up that person. But in this case… she didn't say a word about you. That was unexpected."

Sakura breathed in deep. Maybe Yelan didn't say a word because… she knew Sakura wouldn't want her to say a thing about her magic? Maybe, just maybe…

Sakura shuddered. If that was true, then Li Yelan was truly a formidable woman.

**XxxX**

Sakura sat in the living room, ankles crossed, as she waited alone. Both Shaoran and Meiling had left… for somewhere… and Wei had lead her into the living room where she was told to wait. In front of her on the coffee table was a tea set with a cup of tea already poured out for her. The tea was untouched and cold, sitting in the thin porcelain cup set on a similarly thin and fragile saucer. Sakura casted a glance around, looking at the fine furniture that was placed around the room and eyeing the expensive artifacts that decorated the room. Nothing betrayed the home of its occupants. There was not a shred of the family in the living room. No pictures, no awards, no personal artifacts. It was a cold room.

The door creaked open, and Li Yelan glided in. Sakura stood up hastily, brushing her pants smooth and clenching her hands together in an attempt to get them to stop shaking again. Yelan appraised the girl for a moment, before speaking, "Meiling shall bring you out. Do enjoy your time in HongKong, Kinomoto-san." Sakura nodded, noting the Japanese name Yelan had used to address her.

"Thank you, Lady Yelan," Sakura replied softly, bowing. Yelan turned, but not before glancing at her for one last time.

"Do be careful in HongKong."

Sakura was left standing wide-eyed at the warning, once again alone in the room. She felt underneath her turtleneck for her Star Key, pulling it out to have a good look at it before tucking it back into her shirt. She didn't know what to think of Shaoran's mother, except that she was a graceful and beautiful woman, and by the looks of it had a firm hold on the people under her if Shaoran's and Meiling's reactions to her were any indication. The presence she exhibited was terrifying, and Sakura felt as though she could buckle under the pressure of being in the lady's presence if left alone for too long. So that was what a true-blooded sorceress looked like. Despite being utterly terrified, she felt a sense of awe at finally being able to come into contact with the head of the most prominent magical clans in the world.

Meiling poked a head into the room. She had changed out into a simple long-sleeved shirt and jeans, donning a brown coat over it. She said dismissively, "Ready to go?"

Sakura nodded, taking up her black coat.

**XxxX**

"This is Bird Street. This is where many people come to sell their birds or exhibit them. If you some in the morning, you'd be able to hear them sing. It's quite a sight," Meiling droned on as the both of them walked down the street. Sakura glanced around, amazed by the sight of so many birds. She paused beside a little stall, bending down to see a bright yellow bird sitting in a small cage, feeding on a small amount of seeds. Sakura poked a little finger through the little gaps between the bars of the cage, letting it nibble curiously on her finger. Meiling stood by the side, not bothering to mask her bored expression as she waited for Sakura to finish up. Noting Meiling's bored look, Sakura quickly got up, and nodded as Meiling tilted her head to the direction they were walking in.

Meiling continued on, "Beyond Bird Street is the night market where you can get practically anything. Some shops are open in the day too so you can have a look around…" Meiling looked at Sakura. "You do have money, right?"

Sakura nodded slightly. "Yeah… A bit…"

Meiling sighed. "Right, so you'll know that there're some things out there that are just plain scams. Don't fall into any of them, get it? It'll be a pain to track that guy down, if you do." Sakura tightened her grip on her thin wallet inside her jacket. Meiling went on, "Oh, and you'd want to be careful too. There may be snatch thieves around… I don't know. I haven't been in this place for ages…"

Sakura nodded mutely.

Meiling sighed. "Okay then. Meet you back here in half an hour?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. Meiling nodded in satisfaction and left immediately, not even glancing back to check on her. Sakura stood at that spot for a moment, before she picked up her feet and walked around slowly. Only a few shops were opened as it was only late afternoon. She paused by a small shop selling ornaments, and was instantly drawn to a particular hair ornament. It was a little white plate with sakura designs on it, with little beads and cloth draping from the end. She held it up slowly, as though it was little piece of glass that would break if she held it too roughly.

"It would suit you."

Sakura looked up at the old woman sitting behind the little counter. The woman was small and petite, her face drawn with numerous wrinkles and dark spots. Her thin white hair was done up in a tight bun. Sakura looked down at the hair ornament, turning it over to glance at the price, before setting it back down.

"You're not taking it?" The woman seemed surprised.

Sakura shook her head, smiling a little.

"You like it though," The woman picked the ornament up and held it up, as if visioning how Sakura would look with it. She smiled as the desired image came into her head, and sighing in appreciation, she began wrapping the ornament up.

"Ano – I don't have the money to pay for it…" Sakura touched her wallet nervously. "I… I can't buy it…"

The woman gently dropped the ornament into a little paper envelope, closing it and handing it over to the girl, pressing it into her hands. Sakura looked at the woman apprehensively. The woman laughed, "Take it, my store's going to go soon either way. Giving out a little present wouldn't do much harm anymore!" Sakura bit her lip, staring at the package in her hand.

"Baa-san…"

"You are a beautiful girl, did you know that?" The woman said. Sakura blushed at the comment. The woman laughed again, saying, "Not just on the outside, but the inside too. You have a beautiful and pure heart. Trust me, I have seen the people of these streets for decades and I know a good person when I see one." Sakura blushed again, fingering the paper envelope. She didn't really want to refute the lady – to let her know how unkind she really was. The woman's gaze then turned serious. "And I know when something's wrong in this city too. Ever since this afternoon, it felt as though something in the city air has changed. There's something evil in this city, and I want you to be careful."

Just then, Sakura looked up and spotted two light blue birds looking down at her from the cables hanging above. The flash of magic ran through her, and she instantly identified it as magical creature, much like Kero and Yue, that were created through sorcery. Sakura took a step back, eyeing the birds warily. They were watching her, she was sure. And then, they suddenly took off.

Without thinking, Sakura followed them, ignoring the old woman's shouts of caution behind her. She focused only on the birds, following them as she weaved in and out of tourists, jumping over trashcans and turning sharply into tiny alleyways as she desperately followed the birds. Eventually, she felt the magical source – a deep body that seemed to be neither in the ground nor on the surface. Curious and puzzled, she pushed her muscles further, all but sprinting towards the source. What could be so massive, yet seem not there at all? It was beyond her knowledge.

Eventually, the alley led her to a small clearing wedged and surrounded by several tall buildings that extended all the way up into the sky. In the middle of the clearing was a small well, covered by a small pavilion. The grass around it was unkempt and untidy, growing in thick green patches all around it and around the small stone tiles that were faded and grey, half buried under the soil and grime. Sakura stepped forward, staring at the well. The two birds had landed on the pavilion, and was still watching her. Ignoring them, she took another step forward.

What was this presence? It felt… ancient, like a bottle of wine left untouched for decades. It was bitter, sour, yet had a tinge of unknown emotions in it. Worse still, it was emitting a dark presence, as though after a while the bottle had been contaminated from within, spreading through the wine like a poison and tainting the magic and masking the sweetness that had originally been there. Sakura couldn't resist a shudder. What a horrible, horrible presence. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

But still, she couldn't help but feel curious as to the origins of that presence. She had yet to feel something so old. Even Eriol, who was the reincarnation of Clow, had magic that felt new and young, even though he had inherited it from Clow Reed. She walked all the way up to the well, staring down at it. The bottom of the well was blocked up with many stones until the depth of the well was no deeper than the length of her arms. Filling the well was clear, fresh water that ripples even though there was no wind in the area at all. That was strange. It hadn't rained in HongKong for days, yet the water seemed fresh and there was no sign of algae growth on the rocks or the inner surface of the well. It was as though… the well was devoid of life… or perhaps so pure that nothing tainted it. Either way, it was unnatural. Sakura closed her eyes and extended her aura into the well, feeling for the source of the presence. Her pink tendrils poked around, and once it broke the surface of the water, it seemed as though it had fallen into a bottomless pit.

Sakura gasped. The feeling had taken her off guard, and her aura plummeted down the void in search of the presence. As though her aura had triggered some switch, the presence plunged up to meet her. Sakura opened her eyes, only to see two silk ribbons winding around her, going around the air around her in circles as though it would later tighten and pull her down into the well along with them. Sakura looked at the long silk ribbons in fascination. They too, were made of sorcery, like a materialization of the presence's magic. It pulsed strongly, and suddenly the ribbons went taunt.

"_Sakura!"_

"_Mistress!"_

Sakura snapped out of her daze, sending a strong wave of magic around her and dispelling the ribbons. The ribbons snapped and withered, and the void she felt below the water's surface vanished, returning it back to the stone-filled bottom she saw moments earlier. Sakura stared at the well, still shocked at the proximity of danger she was in just second before.

"_Sakura, are you alright?"_

"I'm fine, Kero-chan," Sakura replied, still in a daze. She touched the Star Key under her shirt. The Key was pulsing with warmth.

"_Mistress… stay away from this place." _Yue's tone was worried, unlike the usual apathy he had usually talked with.

"Yue?" Sakura looked down at the key.

"_Yue is right. Sakura, for the next 2 weeks, don't ever come back to this place."_

"Is this presence… the presence of someone you know?" Sakura asked.

"…"

"_Yes… Yes, it is. Mistress, the presence just now was that of a woman we knew when Clow was still alive. She was… Clow's former lover and a powerful sorceress in her own rights."_

"_Madoushi… the woman Clow sealed in the Water Dimension in order to purify the taint in her magic. I can't believe she stayed in the Water Dimension even though Clow's seal disappeared many years ago when he died. She should have died by now."_

Sakura's eyes widened. _'Yet another one that should have died yet did not...!'_

**XxxX**

"You're late."

Sakura looked sheepishly at Meiling, who was glaring disapprovingly at Sakura. She had ran all the way from the well when she found out how much time had passed, but she was still a good 10 minutes late. The route she took was long and winding, and was only by sheer luck that she managed to find the right paths back. Meiling had been standing at where they had parted, a dark thunderstorm of foul emotions brewing above her head when Sakura was all but rushed down the street to her.

"Sorry… I was wandering around and lost my way…" Sakura scratched the back of her head and bowed in apology. Meiling sniffed and turned away.

"In any case, let's go back for today. Dinner will be served back at home soon and you need some time to wash up," Meiling folded her arms and walked away. Sakura followed behind her, still thinking about the incident at the well.

**XxxX**

Sakura changed out of her turtleneck shirt and pants into a simple checkered shirt and skirt, tying her hair into a messy bun. As she checked her reflection on the mirror, she cast a glance around the room. The room was big, airy, spacious, and like the rest of the house, grand and beautiful. On the far side on the room was a wall of windows, letting her see the gardens clearly. There was a king-sized bed in the middle of the room, covered with fresh, embroidered sheets, and a set of chairs and a coffee table just beside the window. There was a bathroom attached, and Sakura could only gape at the marble and granite used in making the room.

She picked up her coat, feeling the pockets for the paper envelope. She pulled out the slightly crumpled package, flipping it over to look at it. She had unknowingly stuffed it into her pocket while she was running after the birds, so thankfully it hadn't gotten lost. She opened the envelope, turning it over so that the ornament dropped out into her palm. She examined the ornament, marveling at the sheer simplicity and beauty of the piece. She held it up against her hair, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

There was a knock on the door, and it opened. Sakura looked at the direction of the door, seeing four women standing there.

"Ahhhh SO CUTE!"

"She's adorable!"

"How did Xiaolang find such a pretty girl like her?"

"I wanna hug her!"

And the next moment, she was tackled onto the floor by four very tall, very strong, and very not entirely sane women. Sakura winced as she fell heavily on the wooden floor, crushed under the weight of the four women who were hugging her so tightly she felt as though her lungs were going to give in under the pressure. One of them, Sakura recognized, was the woman that had hugged her at the front porch just hours ago.

"I… can't… breath!"

As if those were the magic words, the four of the leapt off. Sakura laid on the floor, dazed and heaving as she once again tried to take in oxygen. One of them knelt down and placed a hand on her forehead worriedly. Sakura blinked a few times, getting off the floor and looking at the four women properly for the first time.

They were, Sakura guessed, Shaoran's sisters. There were four of them, each of them looking exactly alike part from the differences in clothes and hairstyles. Sakura raked her brains for their names, and said hesitantly, "Are you… Li-kun's sisters, Fanren, Futie, Feimei and Xiefa?"

"She knows our names!"

"So adorable!"

Sakura barely dodged the pounce from the four.

"You're Sakura, right?" One of them with long, straight hair spoke, leaning in expectantly. "I'm Fanren!"

"Wow, our little Xiaolang never said he had any female friends!" Another said, sticking her head in close. Her long wavy hair bobbed around her head. "I'm Futie!"

"Neither has he brought any friends home before!" One of the sisters with shoulder-length hair laughed. "My name is Feimei!"

The last one, Xiefa, with her long hair done in a bun, pulled Sakura's cheeks and said, "But he does have good taste! She's so adorable!"

"Is that something that you bought?" Feimei bent down to retrieve the ornament that had fallen out of Sakura's hand during the tackle. She gasped and squealed, "This is lovely! You have excellent taste, Sakura!" Sakura blushed as the four sisters toyed with her hair and slipped the ornament in. They then turned her to face the mirror, and showed her the image of her wearing the ornament. Sakura smiled, touching the dangling beads. It looked lovely.

"SO ADORABLE!" The four sisters squealed in unison and caressed her cheeks lovingly.

"What's going on in here- Sisters?" Meiling's voice was heard. The five females in the room turned to the door, where Meiling was standing, shock on her face.

"Hello, Meiling! We were playing with our brother's little guest!" Fanren said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around Sakura's shoulder. "She's absolutely adorable! Why haven't you said anything about her in your calls, hm?" The other three sisters nodded in agreement.

Meilinhg scowled. "How should I know you'd want to know about her? She's just a transfer student from Japan on a scholarship."

"Ooh a scholarship! You must be brilliant in your studies!"

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Hm, not even Meiling here got a scholarship!"

Meiling fumed at the words.

Sakura blushed furiously as she was cuddled by the sisters.

"Sisters, please let her go."

"Xiaolang!"

"How are you, dear brother!" Two of the four broke off to cuddle their brother. Shaoran grunted, wedged between two very well developed women. They hugged him tightly, forcing him into a very socially awkward position.

"Feimei! Futie!" Shaoran protested, finally managing to pull away from them. "Not in front of Kinomoto!"

"What, still calling her Kinomoto?" Futie teased, "I thought you would've started calling her Sakura by now!"

Shaoran blushed. "It's not like that!"

"What's all this commotion about?"

The noise died down instantly. The Li Clan members went rod straight as Li Yelan walked in, appraising the occupants of the room. Yelan glanced around, landing on Sakura and staring at her for a moment, before saying, "Dinner should be ready soon. Do make you way down now." And with that, she swept off.

They all heaved a sigh of relief once she was gone. Fanren and Xiefa grabbed Sakura by the shoulders and began pulling her to the door.

"No time to waste! We need to feed our dear Sakura our wonderful Chinese cuisine and HongKong delights!"

Shaoran sighed as he was frog-marched out of the room_. So much for a peaceful vacation_, Shaoran thought morosely as his sisters chatted excitedly about the Japanese girl as they half-dragged him into the dining room.

**XxxX**

_Where am I?_

_Sakura opened her eyes. She was falling._

_Falling._

_Falling down._

_To where?_

_Her head felt heavy. She barely mustered enough strength to tilt her head. It was just darkness, emptiness, coldness. Bubble erupted from her mouth. A flicker of shock ran through her numb body. Was she in water? She could breathe though. She could breathe as though she was on land. That was strange. How could someone breathe in water?_

_She continued to drift down, and her body subconsciously tilted until she could land on her feet. Sakura looked up, spotting a flicker of light high above, like looking up at the opening of a well from the bottom. She looked in front of her, and saw the giant double doors, intricate patterns carved onto the surface. She touched the smooth surface, tracing out a particular design._

_Clow's magical circle._

_Her eyes widened. Something was trying to link itself in her mind, yet her head was too fuzzy to pick anything out. She laid two hands on the doors, and gave a push. The doors flung open instantly, and a gush of water came out in humongous waves. Sakura clutched the door, keeping close as the waves attempted to throw her into the depths of the space. She looked up, looking past the water, and saw…_

_The two silk ribbons from before… they were here…_

_The waves had died down. Sakura pushed her body off the door, stepping forward into the room. It was a huge room, like a pool. She looked down, and saw that the water on the ground seemed to stretch beyond what the eyes could see. She looked up, and saw a small window on the high ceiling. Sakura looked about. In the centre of the room was a platform, made of grey and faded stone tiles. Long white poles of varying lengths were sticking out of the water. It seemed… old, ancient, and incredibly powerful. Where had she felt this presence before…?_

_A woman appeared. Sakura looked up at the woman, watching her long red hair flow and flutter around even though the air in the room was still. She was dressed in red and gold robes, not entirely different from the pictures of the ancient Chinese women she had seen before. Sakura opened her mouth, as if deliberating whether to say anything to the woman or not._

"…_-low…"_

_Sakura's eye widened._

"_C-… Clow… Reed…"_

_Was this… Madoushi? _

"_I… I will not forgive you!"_

_Her danger sensors blared as Madoushi's silk ribbons flew up and out towards her. They wrapped around her wrists, pulling tight before Sakura even had a chance to react, and dragged her into the water. Sakura gasped as she was tugged towards the woman, dragged unceremoniously in the water and then scraping the edges of the stone platform when she finally reached them. The ribbons pulled her upwards, so that she was hanging right in front of Madoushi, feet a good few feet above the platform. Sakura winced. The ribbons were digging in deep into her skin and she was already losing feeling in her hands._

"_Clow… Cards… Die!"_

"_NO!" Sakura yelled, sending out a strong burst of uncontrolled magic. The ribbons snapped once again, and she found herself tumbling into nothingness once more._

**XxxX**

"NO!"

Sakura shot out of bed, hugging herself tightly in fear. She gasped for air, clutching her throat. The dream was so _real_ she could have mistaken it for a real happening. Her Star Key glowed beneath her shirt, and she could feel the Cards' worries seeping in through the pulses of magic.

Magic. She should not be using magic in this household, especially since the people living in the mansion were of the Li Clan – the strongest magical clan in China and possibly the world. She touched the Key, willing it to calm down. The Cards reluctantly did, and the pulse faded to no more than a soft warmth against her collarbone. Sakura looked down and sighed, and it was then that she realized that her wrists looked… wrong.

She flicked on the light and held her wrists under the light. She gasped softly. On the places where Madoushi's ribbons had wrapped themselves around, were dark and thick strips of reddening skin and bruises. She touched them, feeling the slight indent on her skin. The dream was a dream, yet the effects of the dream had seeped into the real world, causing these injuries. Sakura frowned in worry. An interactive dream, just like the one she had with Clow many years ago. Most of her dreams didn't involve her directly – it was mostly prophetic dreams or memories. But seldom did she dream with her guiding the dream. No… she did not guide this dream. Madoushi did, and she merely acted the role that had been forced onto her when Madoushi had pushed her into the dream.

The door opened. Sakura jumped, standing up and squinting under the faint light to see who had come in. A tall woman in Hanfu came in, and Sakura's eyes widened as she realized who it was.

"Lady Yelan… Did I… wake you up?" Sakura asked apologetically, looking down.

"…Come with me, child," Yelan spoke, turning and proceeding out of the room. Sakura bit her lip and complied, slipping on the fluffy white slippers provided and picking up her coat as she left the room.

**XxxX**

Sakura stood nervously in the middle of the pavilion as instructed by Yelan. The air around the area was buzzing with magic, signs that the pavilion was previously used in magical rituals and the like. Sakura breathed in the magically infused air, feeling a sense of calm as the magic washed into her body. Her wrists weren't tingling as much now, though she still hid them underneath her coat to hide the bruises from view. The bruises weren't something she'd like to show off.

Yelan raised a fan and pointed it at her. Sakura studied the fan closely. It was a circular fan, with symbols inscribed on the thin paper. On the centre was what looked like a compass, black and white, with the ying yang symbol at the centre. Sakura could feel the magic behind it, strong and powerful just like Yelan's. The aura was a pale green, shades lighter than Shaoran's forest green, though it was denser, more matured, more tamed – which was alarming since Shaoran's was already so calm and still, like water.

Yelan began chanting something under her breath, and Sakura's eyes widened. She was focusing the magical particles in the air into the pavilion, forming a thick barrier around her. At the same time, she was adding her magic into the air, her own touch of divination. Sakura watched, fascinated, as the air began to light up a pale green with all the magical flowing around. It looked as though the particles were tiny fireflies dancing around on a summer night… Very much like when she had used Glow in the festival at Tomoeda.

It was then that she realized – non magical people shouldn't be able to see this.

Sakura looked worriedly at Yelan. The lady seemed to be indifferent to Sakura's ability to see magic. Rather, she was expecting it. Sakura's right hand ghosted over the bruises on her left wrist. What was Yelan going to do? Why was she performing a ritual? What was it supposed to do? Did Yelan already know-?

The glowing suddenly shattered and a huge gust of wind blew past, startling Sakura. The barrier had been abruptly broken, and the backlash was sure to be great on both her and Yelan. When the wind died down, she looked up worriedly at Yelan, who seemed to be as impassive and unruffled as ever. Yelan looked at her, fan clutched loosely in her hands. Sakura gulped and stared back, green eyes wavering under the stern gaze of the woman.

After a while, Yelan finally spoke, "It is… certainly a pleasure to meet you, Cardmistress."

Sakura felt her breathe catch in her throat. She knew. Shakily, Sakura bowed, "I… It is a pleasure to meet you too, Lady Yelan of the Li Clan." She looked at Yelan worriedly. What was she going to do now?

Yelan tilted her head to the side. "Shall we have a seat and talk?"

It was going to be a long night.

**XxxX**

**Wooh I think that was a cliffhanger! Somewhat… Somehow…**

**So a bit more on Sakura's past over here and this is the first part of the Hong Kong arc which I estimate will be 2-3 chapters long, give or take. Yeah… Sakura is going to show some kick-ass magic soon so do stay tuned! That's if… I manage to write it out in the near future…**

**Thank you to all those who have reviewed! Sorry I haven't been replying to them. These days I haven't been sleeping and I've been working like mad… Never mind, some things are better left unsaid. Anyways, my internet's been down for a while so there was a slight delay when I wanted to publish this chapter… well, if you're seeing this then it means that the internet's back up, for however long it may be.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Bahh In the end, I just couldn't help but write this chapter out…**

**I'm a bit sorry to say this but the dialogue with Yelan didn't really meet my expectations. Well, I expected more conflicts and stuff and much more things to be cleared but my fingers took the lead and it ended up this way. Well, I'm not exactly displeased with it. I thought it flowed quite well, and there was still a bit of information going out but… I just felt a bit disappointed and let down that I couldn't have done it better…**

**Oh mien gosh, am I ranting to my dear readers? **

**No no, I must not! Here's to the next chapter, and part… 2? Of the Hong Kong Arc!**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 6**

Yelan watched Sakura intently, as the auburn haired girl fidgeted under her gaze. Sakura looked at Yelan nervously, biting her lower lip as she tried to predict what Yelan was about to say next.

Needless to say, Sakura thought she was pretty much screwed since the moment she had met Yelan. The lady had seen right past her – through her deceptions and mask. She knew Sakura had been hiding her identity from Shaoran and the rest, and Sakura knew that the act itself was a deplorable action. Shaoran had a right to know, and in Sakura's cowardice and selfishness, she had compromised his rights to information he rightfully deserved. She was bound to be less than trash in Yelan's eyes.

"Are you… perhaps, thinking of yourself as worthless, deplorable and unworthy of being Xiaolang's friend?"

Sakura jumped in surprise. Was she really that easy to read?

Yelan sighed, her beautiful face shedding the mask of the supreme beauty and perfection of the Li Clan head and showing a much wearier and jaded expression on her face. "I'm sure you know that the Li Clan is the direct line of descendants from Clow Reed, and in the main branch house, the Clan Head's family, the blood of Clow runs the deepest and richest. The Elders had foreseen Xiaolang to be the one to compete for the Clow Cards, knowing of their upcoming awakening from the decades of sleep it had bene put under. What they did not predict, however, was the rightful Cardcaptor coming forward to capture the cards. Nor did they predict that he would eventually face a situation that would put him at a disadvantage…"

Sakura looked down at her feet. "Lady Yelan, I… forgive my impudence, but I must disagree. As the direct descendants of Clow Reed, Li-kun should have too been the rightful Cardcaptor. I am not denying my possession of the Cards, but rather stating that Li-kun should have had a right in the capturing of the Cards. I… did a deplorable thing…"

"Xiaolang's blindness… was what dissuaded the Elders from sending him over. If anyone was really to be blames for denying him the opportunity at the cards, it would be the Elders for keeping him in Hong Kong, or if you wish to go even deeper, the man who had robbed Xiaolang of his eyes." Sakura winced.

Yelan appraised the girl. "You… have a much more… subdued personality than I had imagined the Card mistress would have. I always imagined you to be the cheerful and optimistic Cardcaptor I had witnessed in an earlier dream many years back but… something about you has obviously changed." Sakura gnawed on her lower lip as Yelan ploughed on mercilessly, "Nevertheless, the Cards have certainly grown stronger under your powers. It was as if the Cards had sapped away your strong personality, leaving only the meekness and fragile shards of yourself behind in the original body. Not that it is entirely bad but… is that really okay with you?"

Sakura pulled her Star Key out, holding it in her hands. She smiled bitterly at the pink key, saying, "I've… been through quite alot the past few years. In the span of a few years, I have lost my father, the affections of the one I care about the most, people who were with me throughout my childhood, and almost the one who had guided me throughout my development as a sorcerer. I have come to terms that… the world I live in is full of the unexpected and the unpredictable. I have taken too many things for granted, and I know of it only now when I have lost that which are dear to me." Sakura closed her eyes and kissed her key gently, whispering into it, "After losing that much… the only thing that hasn't changed is the Cards. Despite all that I've been through, the only thing that has remained a constant in my life was the Cards, and I'd do anything for them. For them, I am willing to sacrifice my feelings in order to keep them going on." A tear slid out of her left eye as the memory of the silverette flashed through her mind. "I will not let them disappear because of my incompetence, and for that…"

"Indeed… I have seen and I know, that what you have been through is something that no child should never have experienced," Yelan murmured. She reached forward and touched Sakura's hand, tracing the bruises on her wrists. "Xiaolang is a potential candidate for the Cards, but you – you, who went through everything on your own, never once complaining or giving up – that, is the kind of personality that the Cardmistress should possess. Despite what you believe, you… are the worthier candidate. No, I should say that you are the only worthy candidate." Yelan smiled. "Xiaolang is yet too headstrong and stubborn, and his little problem has set him back a few on certain areas in his personality that needs development. However, I believe that with you by his side, he will finally grow up."

Sakura looked at her key, focusing on the tiny little gems. "Do you think… he will still allow me to stay by his side even though I have deceived him all this time?"

Yelan inclined her head. "That… I am not too sure. However, Xiaolang is not an unforgiving man."

Sakura grimaced. "It was not my intention to hide it from him but… I was so selfish… so cowardly… that I didn't want this magic to get in between the relationship of one of the people I could possibly relate to. I was afraid that he might shun me… because I have taken away his right to the Clow Cards without him even having a chance to prove himself."

Yelan sighed, "If Xiaolang does not grow up to look past what he cannot control, he will never develop the mindset needed for the Li Clan head. Treat this as a learning experience for him – only when he has proven himself will he prove himself worthy of being the Clan Head. That, in itself, is beneficiary towards him and a favour as well."

"But…"

"I suspect that that time is fast approaching – the moment in which Xiaolang will either make or break," Yelan said, staring up into the starry night. "The dream you had just now… was that of a malevolent sorceress that existed many decades ago."

"Madoushi…" Sakura whispered.

Yelan nodded. "She has always resided in HongKong, though she had never made a sound until recently. I am worried for your safety – it seems that she may be out for you or your Cards based on what you had dreamed." She pointed at the dark bruises on Sakura's wrists. "I tried to cast a divination spell on you, but the future was too cloudy with uncertainty that I could not gain anything from it."

"Maybe that's because… Madoushi… shouldn't be existing right now," Sakura said, looking at Yelan.

Yelan inclined her head, allowing her to go on.

"If… someone who is meant to be dead is interfering with the affairs of the future, then wouldn't that be…"

"Breaking a taboo…"

Sakura nodded. "It disrupts the balance of the world – what shouldn't be here is creating changes in the logic of the world, causing fault lines to appear. Perhaps why it's not possible to see the future is because… all the fault lines added up makes the future cloudy and unpredictable. But breaking a taboo makes the person susceptible to the elements of sorcery – a price needed to be paid for the rifts caused in the dimension. The worse the holes, the greater the backlash. Those are the rules one sorcerer is expected to know." Sakura thought back on when Kero had started her education on the sorcerer world – the dos and don'ts, the rules and unspoken taboos.

Yelan nodded. "Then in this case…"

"I would assume that it is only a simple backlash. As mentioned, she has remained quiet and abstained from interfering until only recently. Her intervention is only but a small bit," Sakura said. The Key pulsed in her hands, obviously in agreement. "However, even the slightest but of backlash can mean the world to a sorcerer. The backlash is a weakness the sorcerer's magic, and could be potentially fatal."

The Li Clan Head narrowed her eyes, "What… are you trying to get at?"

Sakura looked at Yelan. "What if… there was a greater force behind such interventions? What if that person had used the broken taboo to slip past Madoushi's defenses, inducing her in a state where she is blinded by the darker side of her mind? What if her malevolent side was only brought out because of that person? That would explain the abrupt shift in her actions. And… these fault lines have appeared long ago. It could not be due to Madoushi's sole intervention."

Yelan listened in solemnly. "Yes… the future was uncertain and rocky when I dreamt of it. The past few years, the dreams have lost their clarity. Aspects of it are missing. Sometimes there are no images, only sounds. The dream world is falling apart, and with my power I am unable to see past the fog that is clouding the reality. If this really is because of fault lines appearing… Then that would mean… This person…"

Sakura looked at her hands where the bruises were – dark marks marring the pale skin. "… I am guessing… that it is Kaoru-san, a man from Clow Reed's time."

Yelan's eyes widened. "How… did you know about that?"

Sakura glanced up, jaded green eyes staring out in the darkness of the cold night. "Through my dreams. Through my uncertain dreams of the past."

**XxxX**

Chiharu looked up from the gravestone. Naoko was approaching, holding a bouquet of lilies in her hand. Chiharu smiled and nodded, straightening her High School uniform. She stepped to the side as Naoko approached, giving her space to kneel down at the grave. Naoko nodded in silent acknowledgement, kneeling down and placing the lilies on the grave. She placed her hands together in a silent prayer, before getting up and turning to Chiharu.

Chiharu laughed bitterly, "Just imagine… A few years ago, all of us – Naoko-chan, Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan, Eriol-kun and Yamazaki-kun were all here. Now… it's just the two of us, ne?" She looked down at the grave, tracing the name engraved on the stone with her eyes.

Naoko sighed. "Sakura-chan would be here if she wasn't in HongKong. As for Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-kun… Eriol-kun couldn't come either way and Tomoyo-chan is too caught up with Eriol-kun's condition to notice anything else."

"Yamazaki-kun stopped coming too… He stopped lying when _this _happened, and nothing was really the same after that… even the relationship between us," Chiharu whispered. A tear slowly trickled down her cheek. "Our childhood… disappeared just like that, ne?"

Naoko nodded solemnly. "When this happened… we all grew up, and we were no longer the naïve children with innocent thoughts anymore. We were finally exposed to the ugliness of human emotions and… and what it has landed us in." She snorted, "And imagine… just before everything happened, these kind of things only happened in those sappy romance novels I read."

Chiharu grabbed Naoko by the arm, burying her head in her shoulder to smother her cries. Naoko stood there silently, unmoving, allowing Chiharu to soak her jacket with her tears, just like what she did every year. Chiharu mumbled through her tears, "Why… did it have to be her? Why her? Why… not someone else? Why someone as kind as her? Why, Naoko-chan? Why?"

Naoko hugged Chiharu, whispering back as she stared at the name on the stone, "I don't know, Chiharu-chan. I don't know at all…"

On the stone, engraved clearly and for all to see, was the name –

_Sasaki Rika_

**XxxX**

"Sakura~!"

Sakura opened her eyes blearily, gazing sleepily at the white-covered pillow she was burying her head it.

"Sakura! Wakey wakey!"

Groaning, she stuffed her face into the pillow before rolling over and slipping off the bed. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and stumbled to the bathroom to wash up. Sakura looked blearily at the mirror, tracing the dark bags under her eyes. She had failed to sleep properly yet again, and only drifted into a slight slumber at 4 in the morning. Rummaging through her toiletry bag for her toothbrush, she touched something that she hadn't even realized she had packed into her bag.

Sakura took out the little packet of sleeping pills she had smuggled out from the infirmary, turning it over and over in her hand as she deliberated on what to do with it. Sighing, she threw it back into the bag as she began washing up. She was about to have a long day ahead, she was sure.

"Sakura!"

"Coming!" Sakura called as she stepped out of the bathroom. She pulled out a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants, slipping them on and throwing her hair over her shoulder as she made her way to the door. She turned the knob, and the door had barely opened a fraction of an inch when it came flying open and Sakura once again found herself wedged between the floor and two of the four sisters.

Sakura sighed as the women squeezed the life out of her and then proceeded to rush her to the dining room where breakfast was.

At least, this sort of affection was… nice to have.

**XxxX**

The day had been long and tiring. Meiling had once again been assigned as her guide, bringing her through the streets of HongKong. They had then taken a cruise back to the mansion and by the time they had gotten back, it was already late evening. Meiling had stomped off to her room the minute they had reached the mansion, and Sakura was left to her own devices after dinner.

Sakura wandered through the long halls, admiring the art all over the walls. The Li mansion was more like an art museum than anything else, and the art there were needless to say, beautiful. Sakura stopped abruptly at a particular Chinese painting, gaping the picture painted on the paper canvas.

"Kinomoto?"

Sakura turned to her left and saw Shaoran, who was donning a simple white shirt and track pants, towel slung over his shoulder. He was sweating, hair wet, and shirt damp from the liquid. Sakura couldn't help but noticed the muscles beneath the shirt which had turned translucent from the sweat. Blushing, she looked away.

"Yes… Li-kun?"

"What're you looking at?" He asked, touching the wall.

Sakura looked at the wall. "A painting."

"Ah…" He nodded in understanding. "I heard that there were quite a number on the ground floor."

"Your mansion is full of artworks," Sakura chuckled. "There are very interesting pieces over here."

"And?"

"Hm?" She looked at him curiously.

"What about the one you're looking at right now?" Shaoran nodded his head towards the wall.

Sakura looked at the painting. "Should I describe it for you? It's a Chinese painting, rather old. In the picture there are two people – a man and a woman. The man is… I'd say in his twenties, and has long, dark blue hair tied back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He is wearing dark blue robes, almost black, with golden trimmings and patterns. The woman is a bit younger than him, with bright red hair that reaches her legs. She is wearing a red Hanfu… They're sitting together underneath a little pavilion, on the edge of a small well. The man is giving the woman a present – a golden ornament. The woman is accepting it hesitantly, but her face is filled with delight."

Shaoran mused, "Sounds like a scene out of a picture book."

Sakura laughed, "It is, ne?" She looked at the picture. How the artist managed to stumble upon Clow Reed and Madoushi, she would never know. But if what he saw and drew out was accurate, then Madoushi…

"By the way, would you like to come with me?"

"Hoe?" Sakura looked at him. "Where to?"

"Training."

**XxxX**

Sakura watched in amazement as Shaoran flew through his kata with practiced ease and grace. His strikes were lethal and with dead precision, and when he moved on to the practice dummies, she nearly felt sorry for the inanimate objects. Shaoran pounded his fists into the dummy's torso, striking several spots marked out in red that Sakura was sure pointed out the heart, lungs and kidneys. He chopped the neck so hard the dummies wobbled, threatening to fall off the steel-rod stand. His kicks impacted the dummy, sending it swinging back and forth from the impact, stuffing nearly poking out of the seams. She had never seen a kata so precise, so deadly, so graceful… It brought her own miserable katas with Fight to shame.

"He's good, hm?"

Sakura turned to the lady beside her. She had sensed Yelan's approach, no longer quite that intimidated by her after having a talk with her the night before. Sakura nodded, smiling, "Li-kun is really amazing! I have never seen anything like that before."

Yelan gave her a small smile. "Would you like to try it out?"

"Hoe?"

"You do have some experience in hand-to-hand combat, do you?" Yelan stated rather than asked. Sakura touched her Star Key nervously. It wasn't that she hadn't had any training or experience. On the contrary, she had started to train with Fight ever since the Void card had been sealed. She took to her own physical heath with vigor, and trained daily with Fight in order to boost her skills in the case of fighting an opponent where magic did nothing to help. But her skills were nothing to brag about. Even after 3 or 4 years, she still could not match up to the standard of Fight, and had been quite disappointed to herself. The Cards had reassured her that it was okay – Fight grew every time she had fought too – but she knew that her incompetency was laughable. Against Shaoran? No chance. At all.

"Ano… I'm not that good…"

Yelan clapped her shoulder. "No such thing. Get changed and be back here in 5. Let's see what you can do."

But despite the impending sense of doom, Sakura felt that maybe training with Shaoran really wasn't that bad after all.

**XxxX**

"…Seriously?"

Sakura would have asked the same thing 5 minutes ago. But instead, she was standing in the spacious training dojo, donning a simple white cotton shirt and long track pants, warming up for what she expected was going to be the worst slaughter of her life. Shaoran had an incredulous expression on his face, as if in half-disbelief, half skeptical of training, _ahem _fighting, with Sakura.

She didn't blame him. After all, she had hardly shown him a side that screamed '_I am a tomboy that does street fighting and I kick grown men twice the size of me in the ass every time!_' In fact, she didn't even think that she could muster up such a self. It just wasn't… her.

Sakura touched the Star Key, pulling it out and handing it over to Yelan. Experience had told her that wearing anything remotely hard to prone to falling out was a no-no in sparring. She had a scar on her shoulder to prove that. Yelan had accepted the key with an intrigued smile. No doubt that if the spar got boring, she would spend her time examining the Key instead. Sakura flexed her muscles, already missing the comfortable weight and warmth of the Star Key against her collarbone. Well, if Shaoran was about to slaughter her, then she supposed it wouldn't be long before she was reunited with her beloved Key.

Shaoran slid his foot on the ground, sinking into a firm and steady stance. Sakura stood ten paces from him, and crouched down in her own self-improvised stance based off the lessons she had from Fight. They stood, unmoving, for a few seconds, before Shaoran made the first move. He dashed towards her, fists raised. Sakura was there to block them, using her forearms to slide along Shaoran's incoming arms and disrupting the course of the punch as she tilted away. Using the opening she had created, she jabbed her elbow into Shaoran's ribs, where he turned away just in time to avoid having his ribs dug into his lungs. Sakura charged at him this time, turning into a right round-horse kick and aiming for his torso area. Shaoran blocked the kick with his forearm and aiming a punch at her head. Sakura caught the fist with her hand, using the momentum to swing him over her shoulder in a throw. Shaoran flipped as he was thrown over in the air, executing a somersault as he landed and turning around to face her.

"You're… good," Shaoran acknowledged.

Sakura blushed. "You too."

And they were off again. Sakura was into kicks, much like Shaoran was, though she focused highly on speed. Shaoran favoured kicks very much – high ones that aimed straight for the heads – though his punches packed a lot of power and was bound to give bruises sooner or later. The girl dropped low and did a sweeping kick, and Shaoran jumped into the air just in time to avoid being swept off his feet. Using the opportunity in the air, he raised his leg up for a drop kick and swung it down hard. Sakura ducked to the side, catching his foot just before it made contact with her shoulder and flinging him off. Shaoran flipped through the air once again and landed precariously on the tips of his toes. Wasting no time, Sakura dashed, and did a karate chop towards his neck. Shaoran kicked up, aiming for her neck. And they both ended in a stalemate, each not moving as the limb came dangerously close to their necks, quivering right beside the skin.

Yelan clapped in appreciation of the match. "Xiaolang, Sakura, you both did very well."

Sakura blushed, pulling away and Shaoran loosened up and stood up from his crouching position. Shaoran rubbed his arms, where light bruises were beginning to arm as result of blocking Sakura's kicks. Sakura looked down at her arms. Dark blotches were already there, decorating her forearms. It blended well with the bruises inflicted by Madoushi, masking some of the dark ribbon marks with the dark bruises. That was good to know, somewhat.

"I'm amazed. You're much better than I had expected you to be," Shaoran said, wiping sweat from his brows.

"Thank you… I was amazed at my performance too," Sakura said, a small smile creeping up her face. "But you are amazing too, Li-kun. I rarely met anyone that would fight as well as you could."

"Who taught you?"

Sakura twitched. That was not a question she knew how to answer, nor did she want to answer it truthfully. "Ano… I have a friend who likes to fight a lot so…"

Shaoran raised an eyebrow. "Really? There're people like that in Japan too?"

"Ah ha ha… a few…"

"Would I be able to meet your friend? He is obviously very good at fighting," Shaoran commented.

Sakura smiled at the assumption. "Actually, _she _is quite elusive. I only see her once or twice a month, and her appearance is totally unpredictable." That was half-true. Fight only came out to fight seriously rather than teach her when she felt that Sakura was up to standard for the next fight – or if she needed a good trashing. Most of the daily trainings were of mock spars, Fight teasingly teaching her through simulated fights. The real, serious Fight was elusive and rare, and Sakura half-dreaded and half-anticipated seeing Fight.

Shaoran dipped his head in disappointment. "Is that so… What a shame then, I suppose it'll be a while before I get to meet her." Sakura laughed.

Yelan walked up to the sweaty teens, offering a cup of cool water to them both. They accepted with a smile and word of thanks, gulping down the liquid thirstily. Sakura finished her glass faster than Shaoran, and looked up at Yelan. Yelan was smiling down in approval at Sakura, making her blush against her flushed face. The lady pulled out the Star Key from the sleeve of her robes, hanging it once more over Sakura's neck. Sakura touched the Key, smiling appreciatively at Yelan for keeping it safe for her.

"We should do this more often," Shaoran suggested.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Mm! Let's see who gets our first win, ne?"

"You're on!"

From the door of the dojo, Li Meiling watched on enviously as Sakura and Shaoran engaged themselves in a light combat, teasing each other with light kicks and brushes.

**XxxX**

_It's that dream again…_

_Sakura landed on one of the poles jutting out of the water, looking around curiously and cautiously. Stepping off the pole, she walked on the water gently, using a slight boost of magic to keep her on the water instead of in it. Madoushi was nowhere in sight, which should be strange considering that she had nowhere else to be… unless…_

"_Madoushi-san?" Sakura called out. This was reckless and dangerous, but she had to try. She had to try and understand the woman. _

_Instantly, she could feel the air shift. The magic in the dimension grew dark, oppressive, and filled with the nauseating feeling of hate and revenge. She gagged, dropping down on one knee as her legs suddenly failed to support her under the oppressive aura. This was not the aura she had sensed at the well. It was worse – as if the poison had not only infected everything, but grew stronger and more potent. _

"_Clow… Clow… Reed…"_

_Sakura spun around, gasping in shock as Madoushi rose out of the water, robes as dry as day, deep golden eyes piercing right into Sakura's green eyes. Madoushi took a step towards her, making the water surface ripple from the touch. The ribbons had multiplied – there were about ten of the surrounding the both in a wide circle, and they were a dark black instead the pristine pinkish white they were just two days ago._

_Sakura bit her lips. How could something turn so dark within a few days?_

"_I… will not forgive you… for locking me in here!"_

_And she lunged, ten black ribbons following._

**XxxX**

Sakura shot out of bed, tangled in her sheets as she scrambled to get out of the bed. She slumped onto the cool wooden floor, blankets bundled up and tossed over the other side of the bed, and rested her clammy cheek against the floor. Madoushi, yet again.

Reaching up for her neck, she traced the slight indentation on her neck. Madoushi had attempted to strangle her to death, and it was only by luck that she had managed to escape in time. Simple blasts of magic no longer worked. She had to cut the ribbons one by one, all the while warding off any regenerated ones and Madoushi's fierce vice-like grips. Sakura winced as she prodded the bruises on her arms. They were going to look horrible in the morning, she was sure.

"_Mistress…"_

Sakura looked up, staring at the waxing moon in the sky.

"Yes… Yue?"

"_Please, let us out so that-"_

"No."

"_Mistress-"_

"Yue, do you know what Madoushi wants?"

"_That…"_

Sakura touched her Key. "Madoushi wants you, Kero-chan, and all the Cards. She doesn't care how she gets it. She just wants to lay her hands on you all. I… won't allow for that."

"_But Mistress, in the process, you are-"_

"It's alright, Yue," Sakura said softly, rolling over to her side and caressing her necklace. "For you all, I will do anything."

_Anything._

"… _Please know that you are not alone, Mistress. Iie, Sakura."_

Sakura's eyes widened. The way he had said her name – it was just like… just like…

"Yue… Yuki…"

She clutched her necklace as tears came flowing out from her eyes.

**XxxX**

Sakura pulled the turtleneck all the way up so that it touched her jaws. The thick wool shirt managed to hide all the bruises effectively, and showed not an inch of skin other than her hands. Looking at the reflection in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction when her reflection revealed none of the marks she had received from her dream. Pausing, she leaned in close and examined the bags under her eyes. Prodding the grey, dark areas, she grimaced. There was a limit to how much she could take without falling apart, and at this rate, it was going to be soon.

But there were other things to be worried about.

She touched her Star Key, just to reassure herself that it was still there and around her neck. She sighed, closing her eyes and letting the burdens crash down on her shoulder just for a few seconds before she restrung it above her head with the thin pieces of string, exerting all her energy to keep it out of her hair just for the afternoon.

Plastering a smile on her face, she opened the door to face the world outside.

**XxxX**

Meiling scowled, folding her arms and tapping her feet impatiently. Sakura had stopped once again at a stupid shop, gazing longingly at the little trinkets there. Honestly, she could have at least made some use of their time and purchased something for herself instead of gazing at it like some needy puppy and in the end getting up and out of the store.

The good thing, at least, was that Shaoran was accompanying them for that day. He had been forcefully bundled out of the front door after he had stormed into the dining room in the morning, demanding why his mother had magically sealed the dojo door, not letting a single soul into it. The Lady Yelan had simply and calmly replied that she had felt like experimenting on sealing spells, and the dojo was the closest room available. After that, she had reprimanded Shaoran for his disrespect and banned him from setting foot into the house until sun set.

And as such, he accompanied them onto the little trip into the city to kill time.

Meiling let out an irritated huff as Sakura walked out of the store, bowing at the shop keepers respectfully before turning to Meiling. Shaoran hung around by the side, occupied with listening to the sounds of the city, or at least, that was what she thought he was doing.

"Xiaolang!"

"Shao Ye!"

"Xiaolang Da Ren!"

The three teens stiffened. Meiling looked at the side, and her suspicions were confirmed when she saw a huddle of girls wearing the Ming Dao uniform, pointing excitedly at Shaoran like rabid fangirls. She felt her facial muscles twitch, and out of the corner of her eyes she saw Shaoran's hand tense.

Fangirls equates to…

"Xiaolang!"

"Run!" Sakura cried, taking Shaoran and Meiling's hand, leading them through the streets. Meiling reluctantly thanked her in her head, grateful for her fast response. If they had started a second late, the girls would probably have already…

She glanced to the side, seeing Shaoran blindly follow Sakura, He kept pace easily – a product of his years of training – and seemed to trust Sakura enough to just follow. Not that she wasn't exactly not worth trusting… Meiling glanced ahead, seeing a very clear and wide path for them to run across. Somehow, someway, Sakura seemed to be sending out a vibe that told the pedestrians to move away from the trio. And thanks to that intense aura, they were able to sprint down the street, putting a great distance between them and the rabid girls until Meiling could no longer see their silhouettes over her shoulder. She sighed in relief.

That was, until she realized where she was and who she was with.

"What the hell, Kinomoto, did you even look where you were running?" Meiling spat out, wrenching her hand from Sakura's grip and staring around, disgruntled. Sakura rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, having the decency to look embarrassed.

"Let it go, Meiling. She got us away from those… girls," Shaoran muttered the last word reluctantly.

"Yeah, and in the process getting us in someplace where even I don't recognize!" Meiling sneered. Geez, why was he even sticking up for her? Huffing, she looked back at the direction in which they had come from. "In any case, I'm going to look around for the way back. If we're really lost then-"

"We can call Wei, if that's so," Shaoran intoned. Meiling sniffed.

Sakura rubbed her arms sheepishly, and said in an apologetic tone, "Ano… I'm really sorry. I didn't really look where I was going and I didn't realize we were entering an unknown district… I should have let you taken the lead, Li."

Meiling felt the annoyance creep up within her. What _was_ that thing that was making her so restless? Either way, she wouldn't stand another moment with her. Meiling turned on her heels and began walking away. "I'm going to look around. Just stay where you are and I'll be back in 10 minutes." Meiling took off without a second word.

**XxxX**

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief as she leaned against the brick wall, tired from the run. Shaoran was sitting on an overturned flowerpot, head bent and eyes closed. She assumed he was meditating, or at least resting up from the run.

She hadn't expected to run into her classmates. Even though she knew that they were in the same city on the same trip, but she had assumed that the chances of them crossing paths in such a large city was inherently low. She should have thought better. But at least now she was away from them… Though her involvement with their little escape was bound to get her into some trouble once she went back to school…

"Kinomoto."

Sakura looked down at Shaoran, who had his head still dipped low.

"Yes, Li-kun?"

"…Th…"

Sakura cocked her head to the side. "What…?"

"Thanks…"

Sakura smiled a small smile. "It's… no problem. I wanted to get away from them too."

"Not… not just that."

Sakura was confused now. "Then… what else could I have done…?"

"Just…" Shaoran was burying his head in his arms, though she could see a slight tinge of pink under the arms. "Thank you for… everything you've done. For the first time in my life, I felt as though… someone really understood me, you know?"

Sakura smiled, blushing slightly. "Well… I should be thanking you too, Li-kun. When I came to Shanghai, I never expected to have a friend but… I'm really glad I got to meet you and-"

_Clow… Reed…_

The flash of dark magic took her off guard, and she stumbled as she tried to regain her footing after slipping off the wall. Eyes widening frantically, she looked around for the source of the magic. There was no way, no way, that Madoushi had appeared in the real world. So… what was calling for her?

"Kinomoto?" Shaoran had stood up, tone wary.

"Li-kun…" Sakura looked at him. _'This doesn't involve him.'_

"Kinomoto-"

"Sorry, Li-kun, could you wait her for a bit?" Sakura called out as she turned and ran. Her magical senses were reaching out, filtering past the everyday objects and lifeforms, reaching for that dark ribbon of magic she recognized so well. Catching on a thin strand and pulling, she followed the thread down the alleyways, sprinting until her legs screamed with protest. She had to settle this quickly, and she had to avoid getting Shaoran into the mix. If he caught her –

Sakura stopped outside an old shop, situated in a small clearing wedged between several rows of houses. The magic was dense at this point, and though not quite a dense as that of the well, was still significant enough to be a source of the magic. She could see the ribbons of magic swirling around, engulfing the shop and the surrounding areas with its oppressive presence. Gulping, she touched her Key for a brief moment before pushing the door open and stepping in.

The shop looked normal, to say the least. It was clearly an antique shop, judging by the old vases and artifacts that were scattered in dusty piles on dusty and moldy shelves. She followed her senses, searching out for the exact location of the source. Pinpointing it at a corner, she picked up her pace and walked briskly over to the corner, where a single book was set on a dusty table just by a window. Sakura looked down at the book, unable to make out anything under the layer of dust. Using a hand to sweep the dust away, she coughed as a cloud of dust flew up and into her face. When the dust had settled enough for her to look down, she gaped at the picture on the cover of the book.

Just like the painting in the Li manor, this was of Madoushi. Just Madoushi, sitting by the well under the pavilion. Just Madoushi, sporting the gold ornament. Just Madoushi, looking forlornly at her reflection in the well. A well, a bottomless well.

Her hands ghosted over the book, stopping at a paper seal plastered over the mouth of the book. She recognized it as an Ofuda, though the black and red ink was faded and barely negligible. In fact, the ink looked smudged and barely recognizable. The Ofuda had clearly failed a long time ago.

"Kinomoto!"

Sakura turned around in shock, seeing Shaoran standing behind her a few feet away, sword out and a strip of yellow paper in between his fingers.

"Li-kun-"

"Get away from that thing now!" Shaoran ordered harshly, pointing his sword towards it and taking a step forward.

"No-"

The book flipped open, as though hit by an invisible wind. Sakura watched in horror as the pages quickly ruffled by, and stopped at a particular page. The page was a drawing of the room in her dream – the water dimension.

There was a bright flash of light, and she knew no more.

**XxxX**

**Whee I think that built up a bit of a little climax here! I used a few scenes from the original CCS movie because… well, that's how I envisioned it to be so… Slightly canon and not so canon, so don't get your hopes too up to see Shaoran kick ass and slice his way out and then jump onto Sakura's arms as they both fly out of the water dimension. That would be… eww…**

**As such, I would like to say that most of my other stories will be put on a slight hold until I get over the craze of writing this story. I knew it was a bad idea to start on a few story when is still have so many unfinished but I had to get this out or the idea would die… Yeah, so… It's not like they're put in indefinite hiatus. It's just that their updates will be considerably slower than BWG's, that's all. So thanks for reading, and I do hope you'll leave your reviews in the review section!**

**Loves,**

**WinglessDreams**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry for the long wait! I just had an exam... which was three papers crammed into one day and all which I had to mug for quite a lot... Here's the next chapter and I really hope you like it!**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 7**

_How long has it been since I've talked to him?_

"_So… Touya, who's this?"_

"_Yuki…? What do you mean?"_

"_C'mon, Touya, this girl over here. Who's she?"_

"_Yuki, that's Sakura. …Don't you remember?"_

"_Sa…ku…ra?"_

"_Yeah. Come on, stop playing around. Don't tell me you've forgotten all about my little sister!"_

"…"

"_Yuki… you really haven't… right?"_

"_Gomen ne, Touya, I really… don't know anything about a little sister."_

_0- -0- 0 -0- 0 – 0 _

"_Touya, I really don't remember a thing! It's just that… is she someone that I'm supposed to know?"_

"_Yuki, that is…"_

"_I feel bad whenever I see her shying away… Like I'm hurting her or something…"_

"…"

"_Please tell me! I… Can't go on anymore knowing that I'm causing her harm! Whenever she sees me… I feel… as though I'm doing something very cruel to her…"_

"_It's alright… Yuki. There's no need for you to get stressed out over a small thing like this. …Sakura's just shy with people, that's all. You two never really talked much so I'm not surprised that you don't remember much about her." _

"_Really? Ah haha… Is that so…"_

"_Yeah. So that's why… don't mind about her and live happily!"_

"_Thanks, Touya. … I feel much better now."_

_Thinking back on how Nii-san had put this distance between me and him… even if it was with his interests in mind… that really dealt a harsh blow._

_I never had a proper conversation with either of them from that day onwards._

**XxxX**

Sakura opened her eyes, blinking at the white tiles beneath her body. She groaned softly, pushing herself up with shaking arms. She fell back down almost immediately, overwhelmed by the influx of dark magic in the room. Mustering all her strength, she pushed herself up once more and onto her knees, kneeling on the damp floor and looking around wearily.

It was, without a doubt, the water dimension she had dreamt about. The same, white pillars were protruding out of the water's surface. She was kneeling on the same white tiled platform in the middle of the room. The same beam of light was coming through the glass panel on the top of the room. And the same, dark and oppressive aura was flooding the room.

"Nngh…"

Sakura looked around for the source of the noise. Her eyes landed on the crumbled heap just behind her, dark brown hair peeking out from the bundle.

"Li-kun!" Sakura scrambled to his side, lifting him up and checking his vitals. His pulse thumped warmly and strongly beneath her cool, long fingers, and she sighed in relief. Shaoran moaned once more, arms wandering about to find a solid place for him to push himself up. Sakura helped him up until he was in a sitting position, and thumped his back as he coughed into his hands, spitting out droplets of water.

Shaoran turned to her and asked, "Where… are we?"

Sakura bit her lips, before replying truthfully, to an extent, "I don't know."

"Damn it," Shaoran cursed. "We need to get out of here." He had a black orb wrapped around his hand with a thick red cord, which drew Sakura's interest immediately. A scrunched up sheet of yellow paper was wedged in his hand, red ink staining his fingers. She could sense the faint trace of offensive magic from both artifacts, and she knew instantly that they both were Shaoran's choice of medium to channel his sorcery. This was bad. Since he was an offensive fighter, the only chance in which they could escape using only his powers was if Shaoran killed Madoushi and broke the water dimension. Neither was possible. Madoushi had grown far too strong for Shaoran to deal with her on his own, and the water dimension was an old pocket of time that was most probably created by a very powerful sorcerer, like Clow. With Shaoran's level of magic and power, he could barely accomplish one, let alone both.

If they were going to get out of this alive, she would have to use her magic.

And then brave the consequences later.

'_Li-kun isn't involved with this. Yet, he was still roped into this because I was too slow. I… cannot compromise his safety just for my own selfish reasons.' _Sakura thought grimly. She pulled out her Star Key and released it wordlessly, keeping her Cards and the two Guardians still sealed within the staff. The longer Star Key was not like the one she had used to transform Light and Dark. It was only slightly longer than the original Star Staff, only this time with the wings enlarged and 52 bright gems sparkling along the ring of the staff.

Shaoran had felt the release of the staff. How could he have not? The magical circle surged underneath her for just a second, but it was still enough for him to sense it, even more so when he was just right beside her.

"Kinomoto, what's going on?" Shaoran asked harshly, releasing his sword.

Sakura looked at him with a regretful expression, before closing her eyes and saying, "Please… I'll explain everything to you in due time so…"

As if on cue, a wave of magic stormed through the room. Sakura slammed her staff onto the tiled floor, using it to hold herself up against the wave of magic that blew her hair up and rippled the water violently. Shaoran himself was using his sword as a support, slowly standing up while braving the strong winds. Sakura looked around, searching every corner for the woman. She was rewarded quickly – Madoushi was standing on the water's surface, ribbons drifting about her body like dark clouds. Sakura raised her staff.

Madoushi slowly lifted her head up and stared at the two. And then, her arm raised up as well, pointing straight at them.

The ribbons attacked.

"Shield!" Sakura yelled. Her magical circle flared and Shield came to life, erecting a barrier between them and the deadly black ribbons.

"Raitei Shorai!" Shaoran yelled, pulling out a fresh sheet of yellow paper and tapping it with a sword. Sakura's eyes widened. So that was the orb's true form. It was long, sharp, and bustled with magic. The sword was truly a magnificent creation, and she could only guess that it was the medium of magic that was used and passed down through the Li family, most likely down the main family line. The lightning struck the ribbons and fended them back, but did little to destroy them.

Snapping her attention back to the situation at hand, Sakura observed the ribbons. They were thicker and wider than the last time she had seen them. It was not going to be easy to destroy them this time. Sakura pointed her staff at the ribbons and yelled, "Mist!"

The greenish corrosive mist burst out from her staff, moving rapidly towards the ribbons. Once they made contact, the ribbons started corroding – the mist eating away at the ribbons slowly but surely. That worked – now what?

"What the hell is going on, Kinomoto?" Shaoran hissed. He raised his sword up to slice at another stray ribbon that had crept up onto them from behind. The ribbon was sliced into shreds and it dropped into the water as lifeless black pieces.

"I don't know," Sakura hissed back. She looked at the glass window above. Just like in her dreams, she could sense that the weak point in the dimension was the window. All they needed to do was to get up there without being dragged down by those ribbons. She looked at the ribbons. They multiplied since she had last seen them. There were easily close to 50 of them, each of them with a mind of their own and each of them equally hard to deal with. This was not going to be an easy battle.

Thinking through her options quickly, she raised her staff once more and yelled, "Arrow!"

The arrows materialized all around her. She had greatly improved the attacking powers of Arrow since she had captured it. The arrows were now stronger, greater in number, faster, and hurt like hell whenever it met its target. She pointed to Madoushi, and said, "Attack."

The arrows flew towards Madoushi. The ribbons instantly rose to protect her, but the arrows quickly shot them down and pinned them to the floor. That was what she had been hoping for. With a quick snap of her fingers, she said, "Firey! Light!"

Arrow was a card under Firey – a very temperamental card and very aggressive too. She had combined the both of them, and the result was –

BOOM!

The arrows exploded into bursts of fire, and the fire quickly burnt up the black ribbons. Light was a purifying card – it purified whatever it touched. Firey, mixed with Light, produced a purifying flame. So, as the fire burnt the black ribbons, the ribbons slowly faded to white before being burnt to a crisp.

Madoushi screamed in rage. Two birds swooped down from up above and shot towards Sakura and Shaoran.

"Raitei Shorai!" Shaoran yelled, tapping the yellow paper once more. A burst of lighting flew out from the paper and hit the birds. The birds faltered for a second, dropping from the sky, before regaining height and flying towards them at a greater speed.

"Li-kun, do that again!"

Shaoran gave her a look, before raising the sheet again.

"Raitei Shorai!"

"Thunder! Watery!"

Thunder, in all sense, was lighting in a terrifying form. Once Sakura had mastered the use of her elemental cards, Thunder easily became one of the most deadly cards in her arsenal. That, combined with Watery which worked incredibly well with Thunder, amplified Thunder's attacks to greater heights. Exactly how powerful it was, she didn't know. But if that combined with Shaoran's lighting summons, then it was sure to at least damage the birds and render them incapacitated.

It worked better than expected. Thunder shot towards the birds in several bolts, combining itself with the lighting summons to amplify its power. The birds were hit straight on, but not before being dosed by Watery which had unleashed water into the surroundings, drawing water from the water bodies all around them and crashing it all down onto the occupants in the room. Sakura and Shaoran were saved by the still erected Shield, which had shielded them from the water and lighting strikes. The birds, however, weren't so lucky and they were burnt into a crisp within seconds.

"No!" Madoushi screamed. She raised her arms, and the water around them rippled and swirled. She was forming a whirlpool right in the middle of the dimension. There was no way they could escape this – it was going to swallow everything up by the magnitude of it. They had to fly.

"Fly!" Sakura tapped her back with the head of her staff and two wings sprouted from her back. She grabbed onto Shaoran, hugging him close to her body before shooting off into the air. Shaoran yelped and grabbed onto her, shocked by the sudden lack of ground.

"Kinomoto-"

"Hold on tight, Li-kun," Sakura said, using one hand to hold onto Shaoran while she raised her staff with her other – "Storm! Rain!"

The two cards complimented each other perfectly. They were in essence, a pair like Light and Dark, though in different terms. They worked well on their own, but together they could achieve a full-blown storm. Add Thunder, and you get a thunderstorm. Add Snow, and you'll be on the receiving end of a blizzard. Right now, they were used as a counter to Madoushi's whirlpool. The combined efforts of the both of them could release a rainstorm that would dampen the effects of the whirlpool – just like what she had done with Watery in the indoor swimming pool when she was 12.

It worked – barely. Madoushi's rage had fueled her magic, and the whirlpool was only weakened enough to not swallow the center platform. The rest – the white pillars – were all eaten up and disappeared under the raging waters.

It only served to add fuel to the flame.

Screaming, Madoushi flung her arms towards Sakura and Shaoran. A wave started building up into a 20-meter tall tsunami and it sped towards them both. There was nowhere to go. The tsunami was big enough that it nearly touched the ceilings, and it stretched to the ends of the room. All that she could do was brave the waters.

"Ki-kinomoto!"

Sakura looked down, and to her horror saw a sole black tendril grabbing onto Shaoran's ankle. She raised her staff to shoot a blast at it, but at that instant she lost her grip on him and he fell.

"Li-kun!"

She screamed in horror, reaching out to grab his hand. She subconsciously released Fly to get her to drop down to save him. The tsunami was already at her side, and if it made impact she was sure to be swept to the walls with a tremendous force. She didn't care though. All she saw was Shaoran's shocked face as he fell down into the water.

Her staff glowed and one of the wings released itself. A pair of white angel wings wrapped themselves around her and they shot up, up and towards the ceiling where the weak point was – the glass window. The tsunami crashed into them as they flew up, but they remained undeterred by the water and continued going up, up up…

The tsunami crashed into the wall, shaking the dimension to the core. Sakura looked down at the last moment, and her eyes widened as she saw Madoushi caress Shaoran's cheek as he lay, unconscious, on the platform. She reached towards him, only to break out of the dimension at the next instant.

'_Li-kun!'_

**XxxX**

Li Yelan was not a harsh woman. She was strict, but she was never harsh. Not ever. Her trainings were strict and disciplined – meant to train the trainee into a person with both strength and discipline, into a respectable person that could uphold the honorable name of the Li Clan.

Shaoran was… inflicted with something that she did not expect. She had trained many people with different personalities and with their own set of problems, but never one who was blind. Nevertheless he had grown up magnificently, and had completed the same amount of training his father had gone through. In fact, she already considered him powerful enough to inherit the clan.

Of course, there were always people greater than him. Take the Cardmistress, for example. She was young, yes. She had only been introduced to magic a few years back, contrary to Shaoran's expose to the art since he was a toddler, yes, definitely. She had learnt from the Guardians – makeshift teachers of the art of sorcery – yes. But she was still strong, determined, and a very powerful force to be reckoned with. She had the elegance and deadly lack of hesitation when it is required, just like what a sorcerer holding the title of the most powerful sorcerer in the world should be. Compared to Kinomoto Sakura, Shaoran was still a little child.

But not everyone could grow to Sakura's heights. She had been fueled by the desire to grow strong, by the need to grow strong. After facing several experiences, she had been faced with her own shortcomings, and her lack of what it really took to be one that had the power to protect the ones she loved. That itself was enough to fuel her to grow to heights never experienced. Li Yelan doubted that even Clow Reed had grown at such an amazing and terrifying pace.

But, but, Sakura had been also fueled by the lack of company. With no boyfriends, the lack of a close friend and the absence of her family, she had been driven to do what she knew best – sorcery. She had been absorbed with doing what she knew wouldn't leave her – sorcery. She had been thirsting to do what she knew would keep her company – sorcery. Her Cards possessed minds of their own, and even though they were magical beings, in Sakura's state of self-isolation, she had achieved heights that were never touched by generations upon generations of pureblooded sorcerers.

But at a price.

Her innocence.

The loss of innocence was an essential part in the maturity of a sorcerer. Only when one has learnt that the world was not in black and white, only when they realized that nothing was omnipotent, and learnt to deal with that, would they be considered to have achieved maturity. Sorcery was in a way, an art as well as a philosophy. The moral dilemmas and magical ethics would continue to plague the sorcerer to the second he dies. And even after that, the chains of regret, guilt, and sorrow would continue tormenting the sorcerer throughout eternity, forever haunting the soul.

A sorcerer was a cursed existence.

Sakura had been exposed to that fact too early, and at the worst opportune moment. It had produced an extraordinary sorceress, but was it worth it? She didn't want to debate on that.

Yelan sighed heavily, looking out of the window and at the dark skies. The clouds were swirling. She could feel the magic even across the magical barrier erecting around the mansion. There was something wrong out there.

Yelan placed her hands together and prayed. _'Please let them both be safe.'_

**XxxX**

Sakura spluttered, pushing back her wet hair from her face and wiping water from her eyes. She gasped for air, coughing water out of her lungs.

She could feel someone patting her back, helping her in expelling the water from her lungs. She looked up and stared at the Moon Guardian.

Yue had not changed a bit since she had last seen him – when she sealed him into the Clow Book. Of course, he couldn't have changed. He was an existence, not a living being. He technically couldn't age, unlike his sealed form. Or rather, his past sealed form. Sakura touched his white angel wings. It was slightly wet – no, drenched. He too had not escaped the brunt of the water attack and was soaking wet. His long white hair drenched and fell down his back like a puddle of silky threads, His clothes, which she had always admired for their beauty, stuck to his body like a translucent, crumpled, second skin. He looked like a drenched cat.

"Mistress, are you okay?" Oh god, his voice. She had been hearing it for the past few weeks through telepathy – a niche area for Yue – but hearing it with her own hears was an entirely different feeling.

It was then that she realized what was going on.

"Yue! What… what are you doing out of the staff?" Sakura grabbed his arms, glaring into his eyes.

"Mistress, you were in danger. Had I not unsealed myself, you would have been caught up in the wave and could have _died_," Yue replied, touching her cheek tenderly. His touch, still so smooth and comforting...

Sakura stood up abruptly, picking up her Star Staff and resealing it into its Key form. She looked at Yue, who too had stood up. They were the only two in the shop. Shaoran was… was still…

Sakura looked at the table behind her. The book was gone, the only thing left as evidence of its existence was the Ofuda that had been used to seal it many years ago. She touched the table, feeling the cold detachment reaching to her. She had failed, again. Even after so many years of training, she still couldn't save the people she loved. She couldn't save them, and now she couldn't save Shaoran. The Shaoran, who had done nothing to be roped into this mess. Heat prickled behind her eyes.

"Mistress!"

She collapsed into a world of blackness.

**XxxX**

It seemed like her premonition was right. When Meiling had arrived at the mansion porch, alone, she had a bad feeling going on. And then, four hours later, when a man with wings came flying down to the Li mansion after slipping through the barrier without breaking it, she knew something was really up.

Li Yelan examined the sleeping girl. After the Moon Guardian of Clow's creation had landed in the front porch with the Cardmistress out cold in his arms, she had barely taken a glance at them before ushering them into Sakura's room. It hadn't taken much to see that her magic was drained. The Moon Guardian insisted on staying with her, quietly standing in a corner of the room while Yelan attended to her.

Yelan brushed back the girl's damp locks. She had changed her out of her soaked clothing and wrapped her in a stack of blankets, but it did little to bring colour to her pale face. The dark bags under her eyes were more prominent under her ashen face – like dark bruises marring her skin. When she had first dreamt of the Cardmistress, she was still young and naïve, bubbly and cheerful, and the only worry in the world seemed to be the Cards. Now, she was jaded, mature, and filled with painful memories. All that had happened within 3 years. It was shocking to say the least when she had seen the Cardmistress standing beside Shaoran just 3 days ago.

The Guardian shifted behind her. Yelan turned her attention to him and gave him a nod. "You are the Guardian of the Moon, Yue, am I not correct?"

Yue nodded.

Yelan stood up and handed him a towel. "You are wet as well. Dry yourself off."

Yue took a step forward and accepted the towel with a bow. Yelan nodded at his display of respect. This too was strange to her. When she had last heard of the Clow Cards, it was implied that Yue was living under a sealed form, a human body, and was severely dependent on the Cardmistress' magic. However, he was clearly standing in his original form with no indication of magical draining even after his mistress was unconscious from magical exhaustion. Yue caught her intrigued look and continued giving her a stony mask, waiting for her to pop the question.

And pop the question she did. "How are you, after your mistress is under magical exhaustion… still standing?"

Yue sighed and replied, "She had set aside a pool of magical reserves for me to tap on. Even if she is drained, I will still have a reserve to keep me going. That was one of the feats she had managed."

Yelan's eyes widened. That was a rather impressive feat indeed. Not many people could find the heart and will to part with a section of magic. In fact, rarely did sorcerer part with their magic for doing so would make them weaker. The fact that the Cardmistress had divided her magic for her Guardian spoke very highly of the relationship between them, as well as her level of strength.

"How… is she?" Yue asked, looking into Yelan's eyes.

Yelan saw the anxiety in him – like a cat desperate to know whether his master was alright. Raw and tender emotions, unheard of in the records on Clow and his creations. Yue, the Guardian of the Moon, was anxious for his mistress. She could already see it going down into the Li archives. Sakura had managed to change him as well, to make his existence a life and not merely just an existence for the Cards.

Yelan looked at the unconscious girl. "She'll be fine for the most part. Magical exhaustion happens, and I think she'll be able to recover quickly given her strength. What I'm worried about is her physical strength. She has obviously been having bad nights lately, and her body has been pushed to their limits. That would impact on her ability to use magic."

Yue walked to the girl and sat on the bed. His hand ghosted over her cheeks, brushing her clammy cheek gently with his pale and cold hands. Sakura groaned but did not stir. He frowned, brushing her auburn locks away from her face with gentle hands. Yelan watched the picture tenderly. It was like how a father would treat his sick child, except that this time their statuses were more like of master and… retainer.

"Your son…"

"Xiaolang is… still out there," Yelan murmured, looking out of the window and at the raging storm outside.

"He is in the water dimension, a cut off dimension," Yue clarified. He touched Sakura's Star Key, which was hanging outside her clothes, around her neck.

"And he is with… Madoushi," Yelan stated.

"Yes, and Madoushi is growing stronger by the minute as she taps into her reservoir of resentment, thus amplifying her powers," Yue confirmed.

Yelan sighed.

Sakura stirred.

"Yue…"

"Mistress…" Yue murmured, caressing her cheek gently.

"Yue!" She shot out of bed and was caught by Yue, who grabbed her by the shoulders and steadied her. Sakura panted and leaned into him. Yue supported her with a hand on her back, using his free hand to brush her locks. Yelan turned her back to the window, watching the Cardmistress. Sakura was still pale and ashen, though her eyes had a small spark in them. Obviously that was the only thing that kept her from collapsing back onto the bed, considering that her magical reserves and physical body were both pushed to their limits.

"How are you feeling?" Yue murmured to her as he rubbed her back. Now the picture was more like a concerned brother with a mild case of sister complex worrying over his baby sister. Yelan would be amused had not the situation been so grave – their dynamics was intriguing and interesting to watch.

Sakura gave a cough and rasped out, "Fine. Li-kun-"

"Slow down," Yue interrupted, laying her back down. "You need to regain your strength."

Sakura glared at him and struggled to get up. "I can't. Li-kun is with Madoushi and we cannot guarantee his safety – heck, even his life – if we continue to waste time here! I need to go right _now_."

Yue pushed her back down with one hand and said harshly, "If you go now, it'll only get you killed."

"Li-kun-"

Yelan stepped forward. "It is his own negligence that landed him in this situation. You are not to blame. He is to deal with the results of his own weakness."

Sakura shook her head. "I landed him into this. He shouldn't have been involved."

"If he can't overcome an ordeal like this then he has no right to become the next Clan Head."

"If he dies before he can learn to, then isn't that just as bad?" Sakura retorted, before she gasped as she remembered who she was talking to and bowed her head in apology, whispering weakly, "I'm sorry for my disrespect, Lady Yelan."

Yelan sighed. "Apology accepted. But you should know that you are not to blame for this situation. And you should also remember that you are in no condition to do anything reckless right now." Yelan pointed to her, flaring her aura momentarily and showing the significant difference between their energy levels at that moment. Sakura paled at the sudden weight of Yelan's aura, and slumped back into the pillows.

"Mistress…"

"We don't have time," Sakura whispered. She shook her head and closed her eyes. "Madoushi is getting stronger, more ruthless. The Dark is overriding her reasoning, and if I take the time to recover my strength, she will be too strong for me to handle by then."

"Madoushi is but a low-leveled sorceress," Yue informed.

Sakura shook her head. "Magic is like wine… The more you let it set, the more potent it gets. The years she had spent in the cut-off dimension had strengthened her magic and let it grow. The darkness that had invaded her was only the catalyst for her to draw and tap on that magic." She slowly sat up, ignoring Yue's murmurs of protest, and looked at Yelan. "Please… let me go bring Li-kun back."

Yelan crossed her arms. "And how are you going to manage anything in that state?"

"I'll manage."

"And how are you going to find Madoushi?"

"I already know of where. I've been to the opening point."

Yelan looked straight at Sakura's determined and unwavering green eyes. The gaze was so determined, so strong, that she could almost imagine Shaoran carrying the same expression, wanting for the permission to bring her to HongKong. As much as she knew that Sakura was in no condition to do anything, a selfish part of her wanted her to go for it and bring her son back. Her son, the son of her husband. Their only son – their precious son. She breathed in deep and said, "Very well. On one condition though."

Sakura nodded. "Anything."

"You have barely any magical reserves left. Allow me to supply you with some."

"That is-" Sakura looked apprehensive. "Taking magic from someone is… I can't…"

Yelan walked up to Sakura and touched the crown of her head, smiling warmly at her, "Then take it as a token of appreciation from a concerned mother. You will use my magic to save Xiaolang. That is the least I can ask of you as a mother." Sakura looked at Yelan, and was met with equally determined eyes. Sakura searched the depths of her eyes for a few seconds, and then quietly nodded.

**XxxX**

Yelan stood in the pavilion, fan in her hand. She looked at Sakura, who was leaning weakly against Yue. They exchanged glances and nodded at each other. It was time to begin. The storm was still raging, but they had no time to spare to wait for it to die down.

Yelan took a step back and pointed her fan at Sakura. She would infuse the magic from the surroundings into her magic and give it to Sakura. The combined magic might not be able to fill her reserves back to full strength, but it would be a substantial amount and should be able to last her for the battle. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing her aura to extend and feel the magical particles in the air. She twisted the fan, as if she was turning a key to a door, and a small vortex appeared. It slowly sucked in the particles in the air, condensing it into a small ball. She then drew on her own magic, using it to fill the ball and make it into an extremely condensed but powerful ball of magic. The little orb shot towards Sakura and when it made impact, a little ripple appeared on her chest as the orb was slowly absorbed into her body.

The effect was instantaneous. There was colour on her cheeks and she no longer had to lean on Yue for support. Yelan smiled. It had worked. She had her doubts about the compatibility of her magic with Sakura, but it seemed that she had taken to it very well. She was going to be fine.

"Go," Yelan whispered. Sakura nodded, unsealing her staff.

"Thank you, Lady Yelan," Sakura whispered, before calling, "Fly!" Two wings sprouted from her back and she shot off, Yue following closely behind her. Yelan watched her as they disappeared into the rainy sky, fading into tiny black dots before escaping her vision altogether. She sighed. All that was left to do was to pray.

Her knees buckled and she collapsed. She heard someone calling her name – distinctly – and knew that at least someone was aware that she was out in the rain.

**XxxX**

She managed to find the well quickly. It was almost effortless – the well had been emitting the dark tendrils for quite some time and even if they had retreated back into the well, the contamination would have taken days to purify. She sped towards the well, Yue right behind her, straight through the heavy rain.

"Mistress, are you alright?" Yue called through the rain.

"I'm fine, Yue," Sakura answered. She pushed harder, and flew faster. They had no time to waste. She didn't know what Madoushi was planning to do with Shaoran, but in any case prolonged expose to a cut-off dimension would not be good for a sorcerer's mind or body. A cut-off dimension had the same properties as a sensory deprivation tank, only more interesting and colorful. The lack of a sense of time however would eventually send one into insanity. Hopefully that was not what happened to Madoushi but… She wouldn't bet on it.

"Is it… there?"

Sakura looked ahead, and saw the tiny pocket of space between the buildings, black tendrils enveloping the space around it. She dipped low and dropped into the small clearing. The well was where Clow and Madoushi spent time together – a precious place. It was only natural that it was the opening to the dimension. Sakura took a step forward, before pausing. There was something different about the air. She lifted her staff and tapped into on the air in front of her. Instantly, a bright barrier sparked before her eyes. It was a hexagonal barrier, stretching straight up to the sky. Sakura tapped it once more, willing for it to shatter. The barrier flickered, but did not fall.

"A barrier…" Yue murmured. Sakura turned to him, blinking past the rain and looking straight at his silver cat-like eyes.

"Can it be broken? Have you seen this barrier before?" Sakura asked.

Yue nodded. "Many years ago, Madoushi and Clow had a… dispute. She was striving for power to the point where it consumed her, and Clow was displeased with that. They ended up in a fight and… Madoushi used such a barrier to contain their fight."

"Can it be broken?" Sakura repeated.

Yue shook his head. "Only the caster can release the barrier. It is a two-way barrier, cutting off both sides entirely. I see no way to break it."

Sakura turned to the barrier. "Then I suppose I'll have to slip past it."

"Mistress?"

"Through!" Sakura called out. A bright glow touched her body and she jumped straight at the barrier.

"Wait!"

She passed through effortlessly. Sakura turned back to him and said, "Stay here in case the barrier falls. If she comes out, chase her." Yue nodded mutely and watched as she stepped onto the edge of the well and dropped straight into the endless plunge.

**XxxX**

_Why is it that whenever we meet, I feel as though this bridge between is just getting longer and longer?_

"_Is it… the council again?"_

"_Madoushi…"_

"_I won't accept it! If my feelings for you are true, then why… why are they getting between us?"_

"_Madoushi, there are some things that you're better off not knowing."_

"_Clow!"_

_And then, one day I realized that the bridge is just so long… I can no longer see the end of it all._

"_Why are you stopping me? That's the only way! The council won't settle for anything less!"_

"_I don't want you to lose your heart over this!"_

"_If I don't do this, I'll lose _your_ heart! Please… Clow…"_

_And then, the bridge was completely submerged…_

"_Clow… Why…?"_

"_I'm sorry, but this cannot go on."_

"_Why are you doing this to me?"_

"_This is for the best, Madoushi. Everything will turn out alright. I'll be waiting for you."_

"_Clow… I love you…"_

"…"

_He became something that even if I reached out into the sky, I still… will never be able to reach._

_It wasn't as though I hated him._

_I just… wanted to hear those words out of his mouth:_

"_I love you too, Madoushi."_

**XxxX**

Sakura landed on the platform. She looked up, scanning the area for Shaoran, and gasped when she found him imprisoned in a sphere of water.

"You're… back… I… Clow Reed… KILL!"

Sakura jumped to the side just in time to dodge a dark icicle. She looked up and narrowed her eyes when she saw Madoushi, who was convulsing in midair.

"Madoushi, please stop this!" Sakura yelled. "You know you don't want this!"

"Shut UP!" She flung an arm at her, sending black ribbons flying towards her rapidly. Sakura called on Sword, and used it to saw her way through the ribbons. She charged forward, aiming for Shaoran as she jumped. She nimbly dodged the strikes and charged.

The sphere looked like a variation of her Bubble Card. Taking a gamble, Sakura raised her sword and sliced – and it cut straight through the watery membrane. The sphere, thankfully, was just a bubble. Shaoran dropped onto the platform, slightly damp but otherwise unscathed. She searched for his aura, and hissed when she found it dangerously weak. She had been draining on his magic. Unforgiveable.

"Madoushi-san, please stop this right now!" Sakura yelled, calling on Shield to protect Shaoran. If she didn't want to stop, if she allowed hatred to overtake her senses, then she would have no choice. A rampant sorcerer that has lost all reason should not be allowed to live. As a fellow sorcerer, she had the obligation to see to her end.

"I WILL destroy Clow! I will destroy… the Clow Cards!" Madoushi hissed out, eyes glinting. Sakura took a step back. Her power was overwhelming – a product of draining Shaoran's magic. Their magic had fused together and she was building on her existing magic by using the Dark side of her magic to amplify her powers.

Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat and said, "Clow… He had always loved you, Madoushi-san!"

"LIAR!"

Sakura jumped away in time to avoid getting impaled by an icicle. She had limited magic left. It wouldn't do to squander it. She had to somehow convince her to stop her rage. She didn't have the power to defeat her just like that.

"It's true, Madoushi-san! Please believe me!"

"Why **should** I?" She thrust a hand in front of her, gathering water to form one gigantic twister of water. The water swirled around rapidly like a drill and it shot towards Sakura.

"Freeze!"

The twister froze stiff just in time, just an inch away from impaling Sakura. Pouring more magic into the Card, she used it to freeze the entire dimension. If she removed the source of her attacks, then all she would have left would be the ribbons.

"Ice… You…"

"Please stop and listen to me, Madoushi-san! I don't believe that Clow-san had given up on you!" Sakura said earnestly, clutching her staff to her chest. Clow was… Her memory of Clow… He was never…

"Then why? Why did he leave me alone in this place for decades!" Madoushi screamed, ribbons lashing out and striking the ice. She had froze the water all the way, so there was no concern for the ice shattering, but it was still terrifying and worrying to see her lash out at the ice like that.

"Clow-san just wanted-"

"Shut Up! What do you know?"

Sakura flinched. Yes, what did she know? She had only seen glimpses of their relationship and interactions through her dreams. What did she know about the dynamics of their relationship when she had not seen even a fragment of the entire picture? She had no right to assume anything about them. Nevertheless…

"I don't think Clow-san would abandon anyone, Madoushi-san! Even though I have only seen him once, he is not that kind of person! He wouldn't abandon anyone, especially not you…"

"Enough."

The tone was chilling. Sakura looked at Madoushi, eyes widening as she saw magic swirl around her.

"I… will end this! Die, Clow Cards!"

She shot up towards the weak point – the glass window. Sakura grunted as she was thrown onto the floor from the gust of wind that had formed by Madoushi's sudden flight. She quickly slipped into the barrier erected by Shield, crouching close to Shaoran as she waited for the winds to die down. Shaoran was in no condition to move about, but Madoushi was already out there and preparing to wreck havoc out there. She had to leave.

She stopped short.

There was something shifting in the dimension… As if its foundations were creaking every so much and…

The dimension was collapsing!

"Shit, Li-kun, wake up!" Sakura yelled, hoisting the unconscious boy up and slinging his arm over her shoulder. Shaoran didn't stir, his lead lolling about. Sakura grimaced, and raised her staff, yelling, "Fly!" The wings sprouted from her back and she took off, releasing Shield at the same time.

The dimension was already cracking at the seams. The walls were buckling in on themselves and the ground rattled. Sakura took off, narrowly avoiding chunks of ceiling falling down. Sakura glanced down - Shaoran was dead weight was giving her great difficulty. She gritted her teeth as pushed harder, willing for her wings to flap harder and send them up faster. The door to the dimension was closing in on itself. If they didn't make it out before the window collapsed entirely, they would be trapped inside the dimension while it collapsed. Instant death, annihilation.

"FLY!" Sakura yelled, sending a burst of magic to her wings. They flapped harder and sent the two teens up, straight towards the window.

The window was already cracking.

Pieces of glass was falling from the broken window, cutting into her face and arms as she flew through them.

There was hardly any glass left.

The last piece was about to fall.

"Go!" Sakura screamed and they both shot up, breaking through the surface of the window just as the final piece fell.

**XxxX**

_It had not been my intention to seal her away like that._

_She was important to me, that I was sure of. I would say that she was the first and last woman I ever fell for. Yuko didn't count – she was more of a friend, a drinking partner._

_Madoushi was a low-leveled sorceress, a Divinator that I had met when I was in HongKong. She was good at what she did, and had quite a fierce bite to her. Her aggressive magic was no fluke._

_And yet, because of who I am, there was no chance of us ever being… a 'couple'._

_Society just didn't permit a high-leveled sorcerer like me to be more than acquaintances with a low-leveled sorceress like her. _

_That had angered her, and had driven her to become a woman that was socially accepted to be my partner._

_She didn't understand that it was the old her that I loved, not the new one that while was more powerful, had lost her heart in her desperate quest to be with me._

_And it pained me to see her lose her sanity over this._

"_I love you, Clow."_

_I wish I could answer her._

_But it was not this Madoushi that I loved._

_I knew she was waiting for my answer, but I couldn't give it. _

_That was one of the biggest regrets of my life – _

_That I couldn't tell her about my real feelings._

_And I could only hope that when she came out of her dimension, that she would return to the Madoushi I knew and loved._

_And that was the second biggest regret of my life – _

_That I wouldn't live long enough to tell her that I love her in time._

**XxxX**

Sakura soared out of the well and crashed onto the edge of the well harshly, slipping off the wet edge and tumbling onto the ground. She coughed and sat up, pushing her body up with shaking arms. Shaoran was slumped over her, his heavy body making it hard for her to stand up. She pushed him off and slowly stood up, looking around for Madoushi.

Her face was stinging from the rain on her cuts. She bit the inside of her cheeks to numb herself from the pain, pressing the back of her hand to a rather large one on her jaw to stop the bleeding.

"_Mistress, she is heading towards the Li manor."_

"What?" Sakura hissed. "Where is she now?"

"_Flying – ETA 3 minutes. I shall attempt to stall her now."_

"I'll be there soon," Sakura promised. She glanced down at Shaoran. It wouldn't do to leave him here alone, yet she couldn't bring him along. It was too dangerous. He was in bad shape.

Making a quick decision, she unsealed the other wing of her staff. Her magic circle flared for a moment, before a large tiger with large angel wings materialized. The tiger gave a growl, and stalked towards Sakura.

"Sakura, what is the meaning of this-"

"Kero-chan, please stay and take care of Li-kun," Sakura interrupted. She bent her knees and got ready to spring up into the sky.

"Oi, Sakura!" The Guardian of the Sun roared disapprovingly, though his voice was muffled by the thundering of falling rain.

"I'll explain everything later!" Sakura yelled, springing up and flying straight up into the rainy sky.

**XxxX**

**To be continued.**

**And that... is the end of the 7th chapter.**

**People recently commented to me on how low my self esteem is. Well, I didn't really think it was that low because practically most of the people in my little circle of friends act in the same way and I didn't really think that it was a case of low self-esteem. Well... I've decided to something about that either way so from now on I won't be saying how bad my writing is (even if it really is) or how many plotholes it has (god please tell me that there aren't) or how long my updates take (no comment here) or how fail I am at practically everything else -**

**Wait...**

**Whoops I did it again~**

**Thanks for reading! I should have an update for Feathers coming up soon provided that I feel that the already... 7k... words chapter is up to standard... urgh...**


	8. Chapter 8

**This took much longer than I expected… well, having 3-4 projects going on concurrently plus 3 months of intense training for competitions and then an injured shoulder does that to update speeds… This brings an end to the Hong Kong arc! Yeah! I suppose I can take a break before beginning the next arc then… What will the next arc be? Why don't you finish this chapter first!**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 8**

_The Sealed Card wasn't meant to have… unsealed._

_Yet, it happened. It was bound to happen, either way, with the sudden imbalance of powers._

_But it wasn't supposed to end this way._

_My prediction – it didn't come true._

_And for that, because I didn't put appropriate measure in place, because I trusted my visions so much, because I thought that everything would fall into place according to what I had planned – _

_I put her in pain._

_And I don't want to face that face, the face that is worn with tear streaks because of me._

_I don't want to ever wake up and deal with what has happened._

_But I know I must._

_Because if I don't, I know I will never live to look at her in the face, ever again._

_And to blatantly ignore my other half's last wishes would be an insult to this life he had given me._

_At the expense of his._

Eriol's fingers stirred.

**XxxX**

"What… is this…" Madoushi murmured, staring down at the bustling and developed HongKong city. The world had changed so much since she last saw it… decades ago… where was the temples, the tiled houses, the little winding dirt roads? The world was cluttered with this… unnatural, unfamiliar, lighted blocks that were so devoid of life.

What had happened?

'**Clow… … Magic…'**

That was right. Now was not the time to wonder about such things. She had limited time in the real world after all. The dimension would collapse on the girl and her cards, but she still had another part of her vengeance not carried out.

She took a deep breath and sent her black ribbons around the city, searching out for the last traces of Clow's magic. They shouldn't be far… she had been keeping track of his magic for ages.

But… the display back in the water dimension put her off for a bit. What was that pair of wings that had saved the girl? Better yet – who was that girl with the Star staff? The boy she recognized easily enough for his magic reeked of Clow, but without the scent of the Cards. The girl, however, was an entirely different aura altogether. She had never smelt something that… fresh… before, in her entire life.

Her ribbons latched onto something. Madoushi looked towards the direction in which they tugged, and saw the house, sitting atop a hill,covered by a layer of protective barrier. Madoushi frowned. The magic was of Clow's, but he was dead. It must be his descendents, then.

Perfect.

She flew straight for the mansion.

If she couldn't exact vengeance on Clow for locking her away, his descendents would suffer twice in his place.

A twisted smirk had its way up to her painted lips.

"Madoushi!"

The woman slowed, turning around. Behind her was a man with large, pale angel wings, seemingly standing in mid air. His long silver hair was drenched with rain and his traditional white robes were translucent from the water. She recognized him. She didn't recognize his magic. Either way, he was still Clow's.

"You're… the Guardian of the Moon, Yue?" Madoushi snarled, raising her hands. Her ribbons wrapped themselves into the shape of a drill, and she shot it towards the Guardian.

Yue dodged it with ease. The rain was hampering with his vision, but with dark magic as potent as Madoushi's, he could sense it coming with his eyes closed and ears plugged.

But any disadvantage was still a disadvantage. He couldn't risk taking a hit from her. It would corrupt him instantly with one blow. Nor could he let the Li manor take a hit. That would take down the barrier like it was made with a piece of tissue. Purification of the grounds would take decades.

He couldn't let that happen to Clow's descendents. Even if he was no longer under him, he still wouldn't let such things happen to Clow's blood. He wouldn't allow it, even if she was someone precious to Clow.

Yue held out a hand beside him and willed his magic to form. A crystal materialized and he flung shards of it towards the woman. That should at least stall her until Sakura arrived.

"Pathetic!" Madoushi scoffed, lashing a ribbon out to deflect the shards.

Yue narrowed his eyes. He took another approach, and formed a bow in his left hand. He charged up a single arrow, aimed it at Madoushi, and shot it. The arrow pierced straight through the ribbon and missed Madoushi by a mere inch. It seemed like that was the way to go.

"Annoying pests," Madoushi sneered and flung a hand into the air. The dark clouds in the air swirled around and lightning flashed in the sky. She pointed straight at Yue, and said, "You too shall die, Guardian of the Moon, relic of that accursed man."

The air around him crackled. Yue's eyes widened in shock at the realization of what she was about to do.

"Yue!"

The familiar voice was a relief to hear.

"Shield!"

A pair of arms circles themselves around Yue's waist, sending them both shooting down from the air. At the same time, the pink barrier formed around the and reflected the bolt of lightning that had struck down from the skies. The impact threw them hard onto the roof of a building in construction and they crashed onto the concrete structure. Yue opened his eyes slowly, aware that the arms around him had not released one bit at all.

"Mistress?"

"Yue… are you alright?" Sakura groaned, sitting up slowly. She clutched her left shoulder, wincing as she attempted to flex it and failed.

"…Worry about yourself first," Yue murmured.

If it was one thing he couldn't help but blame Clow Reed for, it was for the failure to create a Heal Card. That would have been quite a big help if it had been created. Like right now.

"I'm alright. Where's Madoushi?" Sakura slowly stood up, picking up her Star Staff and scanning the rainy skies.

"She's… close…" Yue said, looking around. He spotted her just above them and grabbed Sakura and lunged away just in time to avoid being impaled by a spear made of black ribbons. He rolled across the floor, holding Sakura in a protective embrace. Sakura winced at the movement but didn't let a single sound of pain escape her.

"I'm… surprised… you didn't die…" Madoushi said, slowly lowering herself to stand on the building. Sakura looked up, staring straight at Madoushi.

"…Was it your intention to do all of this? To try and kill me, to try and drain Li-kun of his magic, to try and shoot down my Guardian?" Sakura questioned, standing up.

Madoushi inclined her head. "…"

"Because… I don't believe that Madoushi-san would ever want any harm to come to Clow-san, nor his descendents, nor his beloved cards! Because… to Madoushi-san… Clow is her… most precious person…" Sakura bit her lip.

Madoushi wanted the affection of the man she loved the most. All she ever wanted was to be with him. Yet, because of so many things, because of the world, they couldn't hold the connection in between them. That connection, which was akin to what she had felt with Yukito. She could understand the pain. She could understand of being out of reach of the person she loved the most. She understood it so well.

And she knew that if it came to Yukito doing something that would hurt her immensely, even if she would hate him for that, she would never have wished for any harm to come to him at all, despite whatever he had done.

That was what it felt like – her love.

And she knew that Madoushi would have felt the same way, because the way they interacted was just too alike.

"What do you understand?" Madoushi whispered. The rain was pouring down on them, soaking them through and dripping beads of water down their faces. She raised an arm to attack.

Swiftly, Sakura reacted. "Windy!" Sakura yelled, pointing her Staff at Madoushi. Windy flew out of the Staff, wrapping herself tight around Madoushi and sealing her movement. Madoushi looked down at the translucent bonds, struggling to break them but failing. Sakura grimaced at the choice of card, but it was the best card for a thing like this. Madoushi had to be shown. She had to be shown that Clow loved her. She had to rid that impurity inside her heart by herself.

Sakura held her Staff in front of her with both hands, keeping it close to her body to reduce movement of her shoulder. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. She had barely enough magic for anything, but this was the only way.

"Mistress…?"

"Return!" Sakura called out calmly and softly. Her Staff glowed and the Star inside the ring spun around within the ring.

"Mistress that's too dangerous-"

He was cut off by a flash of light.

**XxxX**

"_So, who is this fair lady I see here?"_

_She gazed up defiantly, not at all bothering to bow as expected._

"_If you're that great of a sorcerer as they say, you should know."_

"_Insolent woman!"_

"_Bring her to death!"_

"_How dare she – to Master Clow!"_

"_Back down."_

_The man took a step forward, lifting an arm beneath the thick and heavy robes to stroke the woman's cheek. He smiled, eyes curving in an arch beneath the round glasses, and said, "I sense very strong Divinatory powers in you. A dream walker, perhaps? But you also have a rather sharp skill in offensive magic as well. It's a rare and precious combination."_

_She blushed, unwillingly. She hurriedly looked away, trying to hide the tint of red that had appeared on her cheeks. _

"_And a rather cute personality too."_

_Her eye twitched. Did he just call her cute?_

_She was not cute. She was not about to be called cute._

_Her ribbons shot out from her sleeves and strangled him._

_0- 0 0-0 -0_

"_You know, you really didn't have to do that."_

_She looked away, folding her arms._

_There was a clicking of the lock and the cell door swung open. She looked at him, confused._

"_It was a small matter. There's no need for them to lock you up. Besides, I was sort of at fault as well."_

_At least he got that much._

"_By the way, I haven't asked for your name."_

_She kept her arms folded, still looking defiantly, but said, "They call me Madoushi."_

"_Madoushi? That's a pretty name."_

_She blushed involuntarily again. Could he actually be quite nice?_

"_I don't need you to tell you my name, do I? After all, my name is quite well known throughout the continent."_

_She took everything back. He was an obnoxious, stuck up, arrogant-_

"_But I haven't introduced myself to you. My name is Clow Reed, and it is my honor to meet a lady as beautiful and captivating as you."_

_Okay… maybe not so much of arrogant…_

_0-0 0-0 0 -0 - - 0_

"_Is that so? I knew that tea leaves could be used for divination but I never knew that they could be used for so much more."_

"_It's your problem then."_

_He chuckled, bright blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I suppose it is, then. Could you perhaps teach me more?"_

_She swallowed and looked down at her skirt. To be asked to teach a sorcerer as powerful and knowledgeable as him – it was beyond comprehension. Still…_

"_I think I've done quite a lot of teaching today. Why not you show me what you do?"_

_He blinked._

_Oh no – did she go beyond the line?_

"_You have a point. It would be inappropriate for me to continue under your guidance without appropriate and exact payment."_

_Payment?_

"_Come outside. I have something to show you."_

_She followed him apprehensively. It was dead winter and the air wasn't exactly the warmest. _

_He held out a card and threw it out. His staff was released in a second and the golden head tapped the card. The card glowed, and a being flew out of the card._

"_What is this?"_

"_Just watch," he said, and turned to the being. "Flowery, make the trees bloom."_

_What? It was the dead of the winter!_

_The being, Flowery, nodded and flew to the trees. The branches she touched glowed and in seconds she could see buds growing and appearing before her eyes. A few more seconds and they were already in full bloom, petals touching the pristine white snow on the ground. She gasped in delight, stunned by the display of flowers despite the weather._

"_Does that please you enough?"_

_She nodded mutely, still quite taken aback by the flowers._

"_How… how did you…?"_

"_It was all the work of Flowery. That's my medium of magic. I seal parts of them into cards, and use these cards to deliver the magic."_

_The cards were entirely magical? Magical entities? She had underestimated him immensely. This was beyond powerful – it was prodigious. Never in her whole life had she thought that there was a sorcerer as powerful as to seal parts of his magic into cards._

_It was then that she felt how powerless and weak she was before him._

"_Madoushi-dono?"_

"_I'm… sorry… I seemed to have… overstepped my boundaries…" She shrunk in on herself, hunching her shoulders and looking down at her feet._

"_Madoushi-dono," A cool hand tipped her cheek up and she found herself looking into Clow's eyes. He smiled gently and offered her a flower – a beautiful pink flower with ruffled petals. A carnation. A declaration of… _

_Madoushi took it hesitantly._

"_This is…"_

"_In my whole life, I have never met a woman quite like you. You stared at me in the eye when we first met, refusing to give into the social norm and bow like what was expected. It was refreshing – and intriguing. For once, there was a person that was not groveling at my feet just because I am magically powerful." He looked at the blooming flowers with a faraway look. "There are still many things I have yet to learn. They think of me as all-powerful, but in reality, I am still young and inexperienced despite my magical capacity. In fact, you are much better in Divination than I will ever be."_

_Madoushi flushed._

"_But… you will continue to grow. This is yet the peak of your magic. Someday, you too will exceed me in my powers. I am at my prime now, and this is the extent of my powers."_

"_That is not true. I see a massive future ahead of you. You have the potential to become one of the greatest Divinators in the world!"_

_She flushed._

"_It's true! Believe me, you will become much stronger and powerful in your powers one day! I can vouch for that."_

_Never, had anyone said something like that._

"_Thank you… Clow-dono." The words were said warmly, pleasantly._

_She knew then that she liked him._

_He was an obnoxious, young, inexperienced, charming man._

_And she liked him._

_-0- 0- -0 0 -0 –_

_It was her birthday. _

_She sighed, walking up the stone path to the well and staring into the clear pristine water. She touched the surface with her long, delicate fingers, sending little ripples dancing across the surface. She smiled. Water was always the one element she really loved._

"_I knew I'd find you here."_

_She turned and faced the man. She raised her chin up and replied, "And I knew that you would come finding me today."_

_Clow chuckled. "Really? That's amazing. I really should create a Dream Card…"_

_Her lips quirked into a small smile. "But you'd never be able to beat me in Divination, Clow-dono."_

"_As you'd never be able to beat me in my dashing smiles," He flashed a bright smile, teeth and all, at her. She felt her breath catch in her throat and her face heat up._

"_Madoushi-dono?"_

"_It's nothing," She said, turning back to the well. "What are you here for today?"_

_He came up to behind her. "I wanted to give you something. Birthdays are special days, and I wanted to give you something special to commemorate this important day."_

_Her birthday, important in his eyes? She blushed and turned around slowly._

"_Close your eyes."_

_She pouted a small pout, barely noticeable, but complied. She heard a rustling of cloth, and his cool hands were suddenly at her hair. She felt him twist a section of her hair up and then secured it with something cool and heavy._

"_You can open them now," he said softly._

_Madoushi opened her eyes, and instantly her hands went up to her hair. Holding her hair up now was a metallic ornament, shaped liked the petals of a flower. Her fingers fingered the cool metal, a dazed and surprised look on her face._

_Clow held her hands together and he said, "I hope that this ornament would protect you from all the rain and wind in the world, from the unwanted and saddening feelings, and from all pain and suffering. This is my pledge of our relationship to you. I am really glad to have known you, Madoushi-dono."_

_She blushed and stared down at her hands._

_Needless to say, she never took the ornament off from that day onwards._

_- 0- 0 0-0- - - 0 0_

"_What's going on, Madoushi-dono?"_

"_I'm… hah… training… hah…"_

"_You shouldn't overdo it, Madoushi. It's not good for you."_

"_It doesn't matter. I can… hah… take… it…"_

"_Madoushi-dono…" He walked up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She shuddered pleasantly at the contact. "I heard… about what happened this morning."_

_Oh, that._

"_It's nothing, Clow-dono."_

"_Madoushi-dono, I know that you have been harbouring feelings for me for quite some time."_

"_Is that so…"_

"…"

"_You're trying to say that this is impossible?"_

"_You do understand… what I am to the rest of the sorcerer community, don't you?"_

_Oh, she knew alright. She knew it better than anyone else. _

_She knew that they won't accept someone as weak and useless as me as your bride. That's why only by proving herself will they allow her to be by his side. She had to do this._

"_Please… please stop venting your anger like that. If you show a side like that, you would be scorned at even more."_

…

"_I just want the best for you. You by my side… no matter what, is going to be tough on the both of us. So please, just take care of yourself and live a happy life."_

"_Was…"_

"_Madoushi-dono?"_

"_Was it all just a lie?"_

"…"

"_When you said you admired me… when you said you believed that I would be great… was it all just a lie to get me to like you?"_

"_That is…"_

"_In that case… I shall prove it to you. That what you said is true. I will become a sorceress capable of being by your side. If I do that, would you like me back?"_

_There was the hurt in his eyes._

_But she didn't understand why._

_-0- 0 0- - - 0 0-0- - 0-0_

_The power surged through her like electricity, empowering the sorceress with a feeling she had never felt before. It was amazing._

"_Madoushi-dono!"_

"_Clow-dono," She turned to face him. "I have come to show you… the truth of your words."_

_There was a flicker of black on the ribbons, but she ignored it._

"_Madoushi-dono… what have you done?"_

"_If I beat the greatest sorcerer of all time, would they agree that I am the one worthy to be by him?"_

"_Please! Wake up from this mess!"_

"_Only me and me alone… Only I am worthy of being by your side, Clow-dono."_

"_Don't… please don't make me do this…"_

_Why was he sounding so hurt? _

"_Please wake up!"_

_The flicker of black happened again, but this time it clung onto the ribbons like a parasite, gnawing away at the fabric. She let out a scream. The pain was too much, like needles digging and piecing into the soft and scarred flesh of her heart, wrenching about and causing scarring wounds. _

"_I… need to… be by your side…" _

"…_You've changed, Madoushi-dono. This is… not the woman I loved."_

_She froze._

"_I'm… so sorry. But as my duty as a sorcerer… I need to do this."_

_His magic was wrapping around her like long fingers, trapping her in its firm grasp. She stopped moving, just to savour the touch of his magic on her skin, and that cost her her opportunity to escape._

"_It will take a long time, but this is for the best. I'm sealing you in a dimension so that you will be able to undergo purification. You have a great affinity for water… so it will be a water dimension. The water will be purer than anything else in the world so…"_

_He was about to seal her away._

"_Why… are you doing this?" She whispered._

"… _It will take some time but I'm confident that it will cleanse your spirit of the Dark magic that you've been tapping on. Once it has been purified, the seal will drop and you will be allowed to leave the dimension."_

"…_I… don't want to go!" She cried, struggling futilely against the bonds._

_The fingers of magic began lowering her into the well. The moment she broke the surface of the water, she already felt the burn of the pure water on her skin._

"_No! It hurts! Clow, it hurts! It hurts!"_

"_I'm sorry, Madoushi-dono… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry!"_

"_Let me out of here! Clow! Let me out!" Madoushi screamed, thrashing wildly._

"_I'm… so sorry…"_

"_I… I love you, Clow."_

_He watched as she sunk beneath the surface of the water, until there was nothing but a clear unmoving surface of water. He walked up to the well, touching the rock surface of the well._

"…_It won't be long… The Dark is sure to corrupt souls and overrule judgment so we cannot let someone like that go rampant in the world. But… rather than killing you like what was mandated by the council, this is probably the best method… Because I can't possibly lay a hand on your life…" He dropped to his knees and rested his head against the rock. "I'm so sorry… When you come out, I'll be sure to make it up for whatever pain I have caused you so… please…_

"_Please believe me when I say that I love you, Madoushi."_

_0 0 -0 - -0 _

Sakura collapsed onto the floor, breathing deeply as she felt the exhaustion taking its toll on her body. She looked up weakly, staring at Madoushi who was standing stiffly before her, eyes still caught up in the distant past.

"How… could I have… overlooked those looks he gave me…?" She whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Madoushi-dono…" Sakura coughed out, struggling to stand up. Yue was by her side instantly, supporting her. She took a step towards her and touched Madoushi's hands. "Clow… always loved you. I know that… he does. Because… I know that no matter what, he couldn't lay a hand on the person he loved the most. He couldn't be with you because of the world, but he wanted you to be happy no matter what."

"How do you know that?" Madoushi snorted.

"…That ornament in your hair…"

Madoushi's hand shot up to the golden ornament.

"When he gave it to you… the look in his eyes… What the ornament was for…"

"To protect you… as a pledge of our relationship…" she murmured, recalling the words that he had said to her.

"I know what it's like to… not be able to be with the person you love the most," Sakura smiled bitterly. "The person I loved the most chose my brother over me… that kind of hurt, the feeling of not being a choice… I know, Madoushi-dono, so I understand the hurt that you feel." She touched her clothed chest. "Over here… the scars that wouldn't heal… They're the ones that hurt the most. The pain that hurts more than the burn of purification. The pain that caused tears to flood the dimension as you're reminded of how far away he is…"

"The heart wrenching pain… The distance that is just too far to bridge…" Madoushi whispered, hands folding over Sakura's hands. Sakura nodded.

"This feeling you're feeling… is hurt. It's not anger or vengeance… it's hurt. But Clow-san never meant to hurt you. He loved you so deeply that he created a totally new dimension for you, just so that you would be able to purify yourself. He wanted you to pass on as a clean and unburdened soul."

"It was… Kaoru…"

"What?" Yue's eyes widened.

Madoushi shook her head. The black ribbons fell limp around her, but the darkness was still creeping up the hems of her robes.

"Kaoru paid me a visit… he must have… done something then…" she whispered. "A sorcerer has both Yin and Yang. We utilize Yang most of the time, because it does not corrupt the mind. But the Yin has equally as much as power as the Yang, and we are effectively sealing away one half of our magic. What I was doing then… I had reached the plateau of my capabilities and I unknowingly began tapping on the Yin part of my magic."

"Yin… the balance within everything… What has light must have dark…" Sakura muttered bitterly.

"Yes… yes… And I couldn't control it…" The blackness was spreading. "A tainted soul is bound for eternal limbo… And I suppose it is an appropriate punishment, hm?"

"No… no!" Sakura reached for her cards. "I can purify you… I can do it! Light-"

"No, young one," The lady touched Sakura's hands, freezing her in her movements. Madoushi smiled. "Thank you… for sharing me this. You have done more than enough. I will go to limbo. That is my punishment. And I shall spend the rest of eternity with the pain of knowing my errors."

"No… that is too much… it isn't your fault!" Sakura cried.

"And neither is anything that have happened your fault. You know that, young one," Madoushi whispered. She took a step back as the blackness began spreading up her arms. "Right now… the only thing that I can do as redemption is… this…"

A bright flash of magic erupted from Madoushi, and Sakura was thrown back into Yue's arms. Sakura looked up, and saw Madoushi concentrating her magic into a red crystal. The crystal hovered above her chest, a gem of unrivaled purify. Of pure, Yang magic.

"No! That will just speed up the process! Taking away the Yang portion of your magic-"

"I have lived… well above my time here, young one… And I'm sorry for what I have done to you and the boy." The crystal floated over the Sakura and dropped into her palms. "The least I can do is offer this… as compensation. Give it to the boy. It will help him immensely."

"Madoushi-san…" Sakura looked at Madoushi. The hems of her clothes were disintegrating already. The woman smiled one last time.

"I really do wish… that he could hear me say this one last time… I love you, Clow, and this feeling within me wouldn't change no matter what." Madoushi looked up into the skies. The storm was clearing up already. "We probably wouldn't meet each other again, huh? That's alright… because the time we have of each other is enough."

She turned to Sakura and smiled as her body disintegrated. The gold ornament fell out of her hair and shattered on the floor, leaving pieces of gold fragments on the floor.

"Madoushi-san…" Sakura whispered, dropping to her knees and fingering the gold fragments.

"She… died knowing the truth. That is probably the best thing that could have happened to her, Sakura," Yue murmured, dropping down beside her and supporting the girl by her arms.

"Ne, Yue…" Sakura looked up into the sky. "If I became like that one day… In order to protect you all…"

"That wouldn't happen," Yue said fiercely.

"No… no… But if it did happen… if I allowed myself to tap into the Sealed Card's Yin power…" Sakura touched her Star staff. "It's an unredeemable sin. So… if that happens one day…"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Because after Clow sealed Madoushi-san, he was filled with grief for the rest of his life for not being able to say he loved her before he died. That was much too sad, for Madoushi-san and Clow-san…" Sakura whispered.

He hugged her. "We wouldn't allow that to happen to you. We will all protect you, from anyone, even from Kaoru. Nothing will ever happen to you, Sakura."

She smiled, leaning into Yue's body and falling limp.

"Sakura?"

He shook her but she didn't respond.

"Sakura!"

**XxxX**

_I wanted you to know…_

_That despite everything that has happened between us,_

_I have always, am always, and will always…_

_Love you._

_And I forgive you._

_I just hope that…_

_Someday,_

_You would forgive me as well._

**XxxX**

Sakura's eyes slowly cracked open. Her eyes adapted quickly to the dim lighting of the room and she blinked a few times to get the sleep out of her eyes. She slowly sat up, body still trembling lightly from the exhaustion in her muscles. Her fingers crept up to her left shoulder, wincing as she felt the sharp throb of pain in the joint.

"Mistress?"

Sakura looked up and smiled at the two Guardians. Keroberos stalked forward and dropped something onto her lap. Sakura picked up her Star Key and slipped it over her head, clutching the warm object with her hands.

"How is Li-kun?" Sakura asked.

Yue shook his head. "He's in bad shape. His magic was almost completely drained and he has yet to regain it."

She narrowed her eyes. "How long?"

"Mistress-"

"How long, Yue," Sakura repeated sternly.

"… A week."

She got out of the bed in a flash and rushed to the door.

"Mistress!"

She ignored them and dashed out onto the corridor. She closed her eyes and felt for the familiar green aura – only to find it weak and faint. Biting her lower lip worriedly, she all but dashed to his room, knocking the door before barging in.

Shaoran was lying on the king sized bed, pale and unmoving.

Sakura's eyes teared. It was just like… just like…

"Sakura?"

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to Yelan. Yelan walked to Sakura, kneeling down to gave a closer look at the girl's pale and sallow face.

"How… is her?" Sakura whispered.

"…He's in comatose. He cannot sustain his body without magic – it's literally his life," She sighed and lead Sakura over to his bedside. "We've tried everything, but it's still not enough."

_Eriol-kun…_

A memory flashed across her eyes. Sakura looked down at her right hand, suddenly aware of the magic that was stored there. She clenched her jaw resolutely and clenched her right hand into a tight fist. She closed her eyes and concentrated, searching out the red magic and calling it out.

It worked like a charm.

She let out a small scream as the red jewel ripped itself out of her palm. Sakura gasped and grabbed her palm, stemming the flow of blood. The jewel slowly floated over the Shaoran and dissolved into his torso. His body was lit with a warm glow and colour slowly returned to his cheeks.

"Sakura!" Yelan snatched a towel from the bedside and pressed it to Sakura's hand. Sakura took the towel gratefully, not wanting to stain the carpets with her blood.

"Madoushi-san absorbed part of his magic and claimed it as her own, branching the Yin magic from his Yang. That's why he couldn't regain his magic- because it was taken away, not expended."

_Tou-san…_

Sakura gave Yelan a bow. "I'm sorry… I shall take my leave now."

"Sakura."

Yelan wrapped her arms around Sakura, hugging the girl tightly. Sakura's eyes widened before slowly dropping to the floor.

"Lady Yelan…"

"Thank you, Sakura," Yelan whispered, hugging the girl tightly. "Thank you for bringing him back."

Sakura's hands slowly raised themselves up and wrapped around Yelan.

_I've already taken so much away from him._

She held back a sob, and pulled away.

"I shall take my leave… thank you, Lady Yelan," Sakura gave a hasty bow and left the room hurriedly.

**XxxX**

The three week vacation came to a swift and bitter end.

Sakura stood at the porch of the Li Manor, bags by her feet as she said goodbye to the Li family. The four sisters cuddled her as she said her goodbyes to each of them, and she finally turned to Yelan who was standing in her beautiful Hanfu, weary lines on her face that were not there three weeks ago.

"Thank you for having me here," Sakura thanked, giving a deep bow to the lady.

Yelan nodded. "It was a pleasure to have you here."

She winced.

Sighing, Yelan bent down and gave Sakura a small kiss on the cheek. "You are always welcomed at the Li Manor for the debt we owe you for our heir's life."

"Li-kun… will be alright, won't he?" Sakura asked.

Yelan smiled and nodded. "The magic you gave him helped him immensely. Madoushi's Yang magic, combined with his, has increased his magical reserves. He will be fine, if not better than before."

Sakura let out a sigh a relief. Smiling, she gave one last bow at Yelan and turned to head to the car.

Yelan watched the girl depart with gentle eyes.

"Mother…" Futie came up. "The Elders are on the phone."

"I'll be right there," Yelan murmured. She casted one last glance at the leaving vehicle and headed into the house to face hell from the Elders.

**XxxX**

Nakuru leant against the wall tiredly and looked at the sleeping teen. She sighed and turned to the door, getting ready to leave.

"…Ruby… Moon…"

"Eriol?" Nakuru exclaimed, turning around swiftly.

Eriol's blue eyes slowly cracked open and they blinked blearily. "Is that you…?"

"Eriol!" Nakuru squealed and jumped onto the bed, hugging her master in happiness. "You're finally awake!"

"Nakuru…" Eriol gave a weak smile. "I need to talk to Sakura. Could you bring her over?"

Nakuru stiffened instantly.

Eriol narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"About that…"

**There was a lot of flashbacks in here… okay, there was one huge flashback. These were mostly out of my own imagination and how I imagined Clow to be. I mean, he must have a humourous side of Yuko would just die by being by his side. And she did mention that he was annoying – ok, I should stop. **

**Oh yeah, the next arc. I wanted to term the next arc… wait, why am I saying it's an arc? Hm…**

**Alright, just a little heads up. Sakura will be returning to Hong Kong, of course. And Shaoran will too, just a tinsy bit later. Expect to see more Sakura Meiling scenes! And then perhaps we'll soon find out why Eriol's been asleep for the past few years!**

**I'm really hyper today and I don't know why but maybe it's because I'm listening to the Warblers (GLEEEEEE!)… I think I just had my answer…**


	9. Chapter 9

**And… Here's Chapter 9! This is just the start to what I shall call the Past Arc! The title is quite self-explanatory so… Here we go!**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 9**

"How are you, Eriol?"

"I feel like…" Eriol closed his eyes and groaned, "Like I just woke up with a massive hangover."

Nakuru winced sympathetically. "Should I get some medicine for you?"

The blue haired boy shook his head, sitting up and leaning against the head rest. "I'll be fine. It's not like normal medicine will help cure what I'm going through right now."

Nakuru nodded silently and sat down beside him. "Things have changed."

His eyes narrowed. "How much?"

"Where do you want me to start?" She responded. Eriol sighed. Taking a deep breath, she jumped straight to the most pressing matter. "You've been in a coma for more than a year. Kinomoto Fujitaka passed away a week after you feel into comatose from… you know what I mean…"

"Go on," Eriol gestured with his hands, trying to mask his worry with a nonchalant expression.

"So… Sakura moved in with Touya and Yukito."

Eriol's eyes widened.

"No."

"Yes," Nakuru nodded. "Daidouji Sonomi-san originally wanted to let Sakura and Touya move in with her but… things have changed between Sakura and Tomoyo. Their relationship became strained soon after you fell into comatose and I don't think they could have stood staying together under one roof."

Eriol groaned. "Go on."

She nodded hesitantly. "…Well… Recently… Sakura went to Shanghai. She transferred there."

"China?" Eriol bit his lip. "That's… not a safe place to go to."

"She wouldn't listen to anyone. She packed up and left. We haven't heard a word from her since," Nakuru whispered. "Tomoyo was supposed to be Sakura's best friend, but even she made no move to contact her. Touya and Yukito… barely notice she's gone."

"…I need to go to her," Eriol decided, moving to get out of bed.

"Eriol- no!" Nakuru pushed him back into the bed. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "You're staying in that bed until you're fully recovered! You've been in a coma for over a year for god's sake-"

"I spent the last year sleeping!"

"And your body has deteriorated from all that!" Nakuru sat down and patted his head like a little boy. "A sorcerer's capability and capacity relies heavily on the body's constitution. That's what you told me, right? The past year left your body weak. You're not as strong as you were a year ago. If you go in there blind and weak, you'd just get yourself killed!" She pushed him back onto the bed. "We need to train you up again. Then you can go there and protect yourself."

"Sakura-" Eriol started but was cut off instantly.

Nakuru's eyes softened with pain. "She is… capable enough to take care of herself a million times over. She trained like a maniac the past year and you wouldn't believe her progress. But you," Nakuru kissed him on the forehead. "You're as strong as a baby sorcerer, even with your other half's magic, so unless you train up again, you'd probably just blow yourself up from channeling that much magic."

"What an apt description… very innocent and absolutely not morbid at all," Eriol said dryly.

Nakuru laughed. "I'm good, aren't I?" She stood up. "I guess the first thing on our agenda is to get some food into your stomach! You haven't eaten anything in a year!" She bounced to the door cheerfully.

"Nakuru."

"Yes?" She turned, grin on her face.

"What of Tomoyo?" He asked innocently.

The grin vanished immediately.

"It's best… if you don't see her for the time being."

**XxxX**

Sakura dropped her bag onto the bed wearily. Her hands still trembled from her weak reserves. It was the first time she had ever come that close to death. She heard from Yue that had he not returned part of his magic to her, she was sure to be three feet under by now.

"Magical exhaustion… is a pain," she groaned. She picked the bag up and unzipped it, prepared to start unpacking.

"_Mistress-"_

"Nuh-uh, don't talk," Sakura said firmly.

"_We could do this for you while you rest-"_

"And I sleep my butts off like an invalid while you do my work? I thought you knew I had more independence than that," Sakura said, pulling the clothes out of her bag – all clean and pressed thanks to the servants at the Li Manor. "It's not like there's much to do, Kero, Yue."

"_Magical exhaustion is not something to be taken lightly, Mistress. The next time, it could well cost you your life."_ Yue's voice sounded so concern. Sakura smiled.

"Then I just have to get stronger," Sakura said simply.

"_You don't understand. A sorcerer's capability and capacity is reliant on their body. That's what Clow said and proved. If you don't take care of your body, your reserves will take much longer to replenish and your body wouldn't be able to handle the magic you're channeling."_

"Alright, I'll sleep right after I'm done unpacking," Sakura sighed, pulling her toiletries out of her bag and placing it neatly on the bathroom shelf.

"_And you need to eat, Sakura."_

"Is that a ploy for me to get you pudding?" She teased lightly.

"_No! You need to eat! Ever since you woke up, you haven't eaten properly at all! You're going to go down to the dining hall and get something to eat, then you come up and sleep."_

"Why, Kero-chan, had not you been talking to me in such a commanding tone, I would have found your words quite endearing," Sakura chuckled. "Alright. You win. I'll unpack, eat, and then go to bed. Good?"

"_Much better."_

There was a knock on the door. Sakura looked up, surprised. She furrowed her eyebrows and went to the door, peeping at the eye hole to see who was outside. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was, and she hastily opened the door.

The girl outside gave a small, weak smile.

"Could I come in? I need to talk to you."

Sakura nodded, stepping to the side. "…Sure, come in, Li-san."

**XxxX**

Naoko stared at the board, mouth opening into a not-so-discreet 'O' shape. Her eyes darted to Chiharu, who have a nod. She turned to Yamazaki, who had his eyes opened and for once, a serious expression on his face.

And then, she turned to Tomoyo, who was twirling a pen in her hand as she read her Chemistry notes.

Making up her mind, she stood up and raised her hand. "Sensei! I wish to apply for the exchange program!"

Chiharu and Yamazaki both stood up as well. "Me too, Sensei!"

The teacher beamed and jotted their names down. "Wonderful! And there we have the three from our class going to Shanghai! Does anyone else wish to apply? Or contest for the three position? The trip will be really exciting! You'll be learning some simple Mandarin as well!"

The class just went on with their own business.

The teacher sighed and closed her book. "Then, with that… Homeroom's over!"

Naoko sighed and turned to Chiharu, smiling, "We finally get to see Sakura, huh?"

Chiharu nodded. "It's been quite a while since we last saw her… it'll be great to see her again."

Naoko casted a glance at Tomoyo, who simply packed up and was leaving for her first period.

"…Something really is up," Chiharu whispered.

Naoko nodded.

"Tomoyo has changed."

**XxxX**

"So… what do you want to talk about?" Sakura asked, sitting on the bed and looking at Meiling who had settled on the chair.

"It's about Xiaolang," She said, crossed her arms. "I know you both have grown strong over the past few weeks but I think you should really understand this point. I am Xiaolang's fiancée and Xiaolang is the future Head of the Li Clan. Knowing that, would you still continue to get closer to him?"

Sakura cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

Meiling scowled. "Xiaolang has never, and I repeat, _never, _associated with a girl other than that of the females in the clan and his sisters."

"I see it as a refreshing change. It doesn't look like he associates with anyone much, either way," Sakura said, keeping a nonchalant expression.

Frustrated, Meiling slammed a fist on the table, standing up and shouting, "Alright! I get it! I like Xiaolang, okay? I like him, he's my fiancée, and I don't want you getting in between us! He has never shown interest in _anyone_ other than his family and when he suddenly started paying attention to you for no reason, I got jealous! Satisfied? Do you understand?"

Sakura let out a slow breath and closed her eyes. "You think I am getting in between you and Li-kun?"

"Yes!" Meiling hissed.

"Li-kun is already your fiancee, isn't he?"

"Yes!"

"Then what are you worried about?"

"You! I'm worried that YOU will break us up!"

Sakura slowly stood up. "And do you really think that I will do something as dishonorable as breaking up you two?"

"That…" Meiling glanced down. "Xiaolang likes you. He really does. I'm scared that he will choose you over me, because I know that if I were him, you would seem like… the better option."

Sakura's eyes softened. "Do you really think that?"

Meiling bit her lip and closed her eyes, struggling to keep the tears shut inside.

"Li-san, you really are a formidable and respectable woman," Sakura said softly, stepping forward. "If it's the Li Clan, I'm sure you will be able to run it well with Li-kun. You shouldn't put yourself down because of that. In fact, you're beautiful, confident and strong. Surely you didn't think that I wouldn't notice you besting even the boys in sports or martial arts?"

"Xiaolang…"

"I will never, ever, break up someone just so that I can be with them," Sakura stated, taking Meiling's hands. "I will not break up you and Xiaolang because I want to be with him. If you feel that your relationship with him is being compromised, then you can always have a word with me and I'll try and see what I can do to help. But please believe me that I would never want to see you and Li-kun break up because of me."

"How can I trust you?" Meiling blurted out bluntly.

"What would you like me to do in order for you trust me?"

Meiling wrung her hands. "I don't know! I… you show me something that will make me believe you!"

Sakura folded her arms. "You doubt my intentions to keep away from Li-kun?"

"Yes!"

"Then… why not I tell you a story?" Sakura stood up and moved to the window. "Around 4 to 5 years back, I was in love with my brother's best friend. He was… 7 years older than me and I've known him for over 3 years before I realized I like him."

"What are you trying to say?" Meiling asked.

"Patience, Li-san," Sakura smiled. "You see… I wasn't the only one in love with him. My brother, the one who brought Yukito-san close to my family and befriended him for so many years, also grew to love him."

Meiling folded her arms stoically.

Sakura glanced at Meiling. "Li-san, how much do you know about sorcery?"

She shot out of her seat.

Sakura pulled out her Star Key and released it in a blink of an eye. Meiling's eyes widened.

"I am a sorceress. I am the Card Mistress, in fact," Sakura held the Staff out for Meiling to examine.

"No way…" She gasped. "But… but that would make you…"

"Hear me out first, Li-san," Sakura said softly, resealing the Staff. "Yukito-san, was in fact, the sealed form of Yue, the Guardian of the Moon. He was made to grow close to the Card Mistress, to look after and keep an eye on the sorceress. Yukito-san never was meant to exist. His entire existence was a false form, just to keep the Guardian of the Moon close to the future Card Mistress. But I loved him, nevertheless. Even when Yue said that it was due to the forces of attraction the Power of the Moon had over me, I still loved him very much."

Meiling looked at her with apprehensive eyes, neither entirely excited nor keen now to hear what was coming next.

Sakura sat back down on the bed, sharing a bitter smile. "I wanted to prove that it was Yukito, not Yue that I loved. So I separated them one year after I collected all the cards. Yue and Yukito became two separate entities. Yukito was finally an existence. And I still love him."

"What did he say?" Meiling asked in a soft voice.

Sakura breathed deeply, staring at her Key. "I was… not a choice after all. One day during a school festival, I confessed to Yukito-san. It was the romantic confession that I had envisioned for many years. We were in a Starry Maze, put up by his class, and he was walking me through it. It was beautiful. And then I turned to him and said, 'I love you, Yukito-san'." Sakura gave a small laugh, "Well… it turned out that he loved Nii-san. For many years, I had envisioned us together. It was only then that I realized how blind I was to him. He had always loved Nii-san. I just deluded myself into thinking otherwise."

Meiling's eyes widened.

"And then… well, after the Clow Cards were changed into Sakura Cards in order to fully complete the transition into the Card Mistress… the Sealed Card was released." Sakura's eyes darkened at the mention of the Card. "The Sealed Card was the Yin energy of the Cards. It held the combined Yin power of all the Cards. And because of the imbalance between the Yin and Yang of the Cards, it broke out of the seal."

"Did you capture it?" Meiling whispered.

Sakura nodded. "Of course. The Sealed Card was also a part of the Clow Cards, now Sakura Cards. It is now called the Void. But capturing it required a price. The power in it was so great that I needed to sacrifice something in order to seal it again."

"Yukito?"

"In a way… yes, it was Yukito. It was his feelings for me, the feelings that I treasured the most," Sakura placed a hand over her heart. "Because despite the fact that he did not reciprocate my feelings, I still treasured the relationship in between them. He was the most important person to me. And in order to seal that card, I had to sacrifice the feelings in between us. The Sealed Card took away his memories of me, and consequently any feelings he every held for me. He became a total stranger to me."

Meiling couldn't help but put a hand over Sakura's.

"I know what it feels like to have something to come in between me and the one I love the most," Sakura said simply. "I stepped aside for Nii-san, and then was torn away from him for my duty as the Card Mistress. It was a heart wrenching pain. The feeling of not being the one that your most loved loved the most…" Sakura placed a hand over Meiling's, squeezing it gently. "And I know it so well that even if it costs me, I don't want anyone else to know what I felt."

"Why… are you so…" Meiling shook her head. "Xiaolang is obviously more than a friend to you! Why are you giving this up?"

"Because I know that if I step in, you would feel this pain as well. And I'd much rather stay away and save us both from any pain than get what I think I want to get," Sakura replied. "Unlike what you think, staying away is much easier than breaking it off. It's better to have never known to have tried and get hurt, ne?"

Meiling looked down.

"I really like you, Li-san. You may not really like me, but I really like you. You're an amazing person and I know that you care about Li-kun very much. You're perfect for him."

Meiling sighed and stood up. "You'll stay away from Xiaolang?"

Sakura nodded. "I will."

Meiling nodded. "I see. Thank you." She turned to leave.

"Li-san."

"Yes?" Meiling turned to look at Sakura.

Sakura flashed a hopeful smile. "Do you think… I could call you Meiling-san?"

Meiling scowled.

Sakura flinched. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked-"

"I told you to drop the honorifics, didn't I?" Meiling snapped and left the room quickly.

Sakura blinked, replaying the words in her head. Slowly, she let a small grin come up to her lips.

"She didn't say I couldn't call her Meiling, didn't she?"

**XxxX**

Tomoyo opened the door to the mansion, slipping out of her shoes and placing them neatly by the side. She briefly noted the pair of high heels already set at the side. A pair of size 7 Christina Louboutin Black Pumps. There was only one person she knew that wore Christina Louboutin shoes shipped directly from UK and visited Eriol.

"Mizuki-sensei?" Tomoyo called. She quietly walked to Eriol's room, knocking on the door gently before cracking the door open.

"Tomoyo-chan!" The red-headed woman exclaimed jubilantly. She stood up straight. "I didn't hear you approach!"

"It's been a while, Mizuki-sensei," Tomoyo said, smiling slightly. She took her seat by Eriol, stroking his pale hands.

Mizuki looked at Tomoyo from the corner of the room. She smiled and asked, "How have you been, Tomoyo-chan? The choir…"

"I'm coping well with school work. The choir, however… I just couldn't devote enough time to it," Tomoyo shrugged. "They kicked me out."

Mizuki gasped. "Tomoyo-chan…. The choir was important to you."

Tomoyo looked at Mizuki. "No, Eriol is important to me."

She blinked. "Excuse me? Could you… repeat that?"

"I said, Eriol is important to me. He's the most important person in the world to me," Tomoyo repeated.

"Oh… oh, I see…" The teacher blinked a few times. "So… what happened to choir?"

"I couldn't juggle between taking care of Eriol after school and attending practice, so I stopped going to choir. They kicked me off the regulars a few weeks ago," Tomoyo informed.

"Wow… I didn't know that. In fact, I was just planning to become the substitute teacher for the choir club," Mizuki said, sitting down on an armchair beside the window. "I thought it would… be a great position to get to know you better."

"I thought you only taught Elementary School students, Mizuki-sensei," Tomoyo said. She picked up a cloth and dabbed the wet fabric to Eriol's lips.

"I got my degree a few weeks ago, and I applied to teach at your school."

"Really? That's great," Tomoyo responded. Mizuki couldn't help but notice the flat tone.

"I was thinking… I heard from the staff that they're organizing a Shanghai trip to our sister school – Ming Dao High. I heard that Sakura transferred there, so I thought that maybe you'd be going…" Mizuki trailed off, watching Tomoyo carefully.

Tomoyo sighed, turning to face the woman. "Sensei, between Eriol-kun and Sakura, Eriol-kun needs my help much more."

"No, he doesn't."

"Excuse me-"

"Eriol has Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun. They both are very good Guardians, and Nakuru has been taking care of him as long as you have. I don't think she faces trouble and requires your help," Mizuki stated. "Compared to that, Sakura is all the way in Shanghai, alone. I think what Sakura needs the most is her best friend, Tomoyo-chan."

Tomoyo pursed her lips. "Are you saying that I should ignore Eriol-kun and jump onto a plane to Shanghai for 3 weeks?"

"Yes. It would do good for you to meet Sakura-chan once more-"

"Sakura left on her own accord!" Tomoyo burst out, slamming a hand on the wall. "She obviously doesn't want anything to do with anyone of us in Tomoeda!"

Mizuki took a step back. She hadn't considered that.

It seemed like, even after all the years and conflicts between them, Tomoyo still understood Sakura.

"Nevertheless," Mizuki said softly, "I bet that she is quiet lonely over there."

Tomoyo looked down, not meeting the woman's eyes.

The teacher sighed and crossed her arms, walking to the door. "I'll leave you with Eriol then. I hope he wakes up soon."

"Thank you," Tomoyo said stiffly, sitting down on the chair and resuming dabbing his dry lips.

**XxxX**

"So?" Mizuki nodded her head towards the room.

Eriol laced his hands together, resting his chin on them and staring into the fireplace. He sighed and murmured, "Thank you, Kaho, for doing this."

She smiled and sat down on the armchair opposite him. "It's no problem. But you really do have to inform me of such things much earlier. I only got your message yesterday night and today, you wanted me to rush over all the way from Osaka to set up an illusion for Tomoyo. I thought you treated your women better than that, Eriol."

"I apologise," Eriol said softly, looking at the woman with grateful eyes. "It's been quite a while since I was awake… my body is not yet accustomed to Fujitaka-san's magic and it has deteriorated so much that I couldn't muster the courage to handle such a delicate illusion. I'm sorry for calling you back from your studies on such short notice."

Mizuki touched Eriol's hands with her soft, long fingers. She looked at his pale face worriedly, asking, "How are you holding up? I can tell that even this is taking its toll on you."

Eriol smirked. "To be honest, I have never felt this bad in my life. Even when I got drunk and pneumonia at the same time back when I was Clow, I had never felt this… weak and terrible."

She chuckled. "Only you would get pneumonia and a hangover at the same time, Eriol."

"Nuh-uh, that was Clow, not me," Eriol cracked a smile.

"Same difference."

Eriol let out a soft laugh. "I missed talking to you, Kaho."

Mizuki chuckled as well. "I've missed you, Eriol. The past few years were lonely."

"Yes…" Eriol sighed and leant back into the chair. "I need to get strong again. I have to go to Sakura as soon as I can."

"And what about Tomoyo?" She glanced at the wall connecting the room to the room where Tomoyo was attending to the illusion-Eriol.

"Nakuru was right. She has changed," Eriol let out a deep, heavy breath. "Only 2 years… 2 years and she has changed into someone I didn't recognize. It's best…. If we didn't meet until everything has cleared up."

"Cleared up?"

Eriol let out a bitter smirk. "Yes. Surely you didn't think that I would let the person who put me into this coma and forced Fujitaka-san to transfer his magic to me, resulting in his death, get away scot free, did you?"

**XxxX**

Sakura smiled nervously at Meiling before class. The girl gave a curt nod and sat down, facing the front. Sakura set her bag down at her table and sat down. She glanced towards the right, where Shaoran was supposed to be sitting.

He still wasn't back.

She held back a disappointed sigh.

"Hard Workers! All rise!" their teacher came in, slamming his book onto the teacher's desk. "I have good news!"

Sakura stood up with the rest of the class, giving a bow before sitting down. Ling sniffed and rubbed his nose, before announcing, "Class 17! I hope you're proud, but we're going to be playing host to a few wonderful students from Japan in a few weeks!"

The class let out a groan. Sakura tensed in her seat.

"I know you all have better things to do, like study for your Math exam coming Thursday, but this is really important! MuZhiBen! Stand!" Sakura shot out her seat instantly. Ling cleared his throat and said, "As you can see, a fellow transfer student here is from the very same school that we're going to host!"

"No," Sakura whispered, shocked.

"Yes, class! We're going to be hosting Tomoeda High School! Aren't you all excited?" Ling raised his hands as if he was expecting an applause. He was met with a stark silence. "Well? Aren't you all excited?"

"Sorry, Ling-laoshi, but if they're all like the transfer student, then I'd rather not have them here," Gong Anyan sniffed, polishing her nails with a nail file in broad daylight.

"Gong! Confiscated! Now!" Ling boomed, pointing to his desk. AnYan rolled her eyes, getting out of seat and depositing it on the desk with a slap. The teacher shook his head in disappointment. "Really, I thought you all would be more enthusiastic than that. Forget it! This glorious opportunity is going to some other class!"

Now, this time, there were cheers.

Sakura slowly sunk into her seat in relief.

**XxxX**

"Chiharu-chan!" Naoko called, waving her hands. Her friend gave her a smile and ran over, papers clutched in her hands.

"So… it's been confirmed?" Chiharu asked, a tinge of excitement in her voice.

Naoko nodded. "Yep! You, me and Yamazaki-kun are going to Shanghai along with 12 others! And guess what – Mizuki-sensei is coming too!"

"Mizuki-sensei? The pretty sensei back when we were… 11?" Chiharu asked.

Naoko nodded in affirmation.

"Wow… I bet Sakura-chan will be happy to see us!" Chiharu exclaimed.

There was a snort from behind. The two girls whirled around to glare at the purple haired girl.

"What's your problem, Tomoyo?" Naoko said, annoyed.

Tomoyo turned to them, a frown set on her face, "Did you even consider that Sakura ran away from us?"

"So?"

"And did you think that she would appreciate your presence?"

"Sakura-chan is-" Naoko cut herself off abruptly. It was obvious that she didn't consider that.

"Nevertheless, _we _want to see our _friend_. Surely she can stand seeing us for just three weeks!" Chiharu argued back.

"How selfish," Tomoyo muttered.

"You're the selfish one, Tomoyo, spending your days sitting in front of Hiiragizawa-kun, not bothering to continue with your life! Did you think that _he _would appreciate you wasting your life away over him?" Naoko yelled.

Tomoyo's eyes glazed over.

"And did you think that Eriol-kun chose to be in a comatose?" She snarled and whirled away, storming down the hall quickly.

Chiharu rested a hand on Naoko's arm. "I think you may have gone too far."

Naoko folded her arms. "I don't care. Tomoyo has changed so much that I'm shocked she can still keep her name. As far as I'm concerned, she's not knowledgeable about the world at all!"

"Tomoyo-chan has changed, yes, but she's still our friend, Naoko-chan," Chiharu chided gently.

Naoko dropped her arms and sighed. "You're right. But it still doesn't change the fact that Tomoyo isn't the sweet and kind girl she was 4 years ago anymore."

**XxxX**

Sakura stopped in front of the nurses' door. She hesitated for just a moment before knocking on the door and sliding the door open.

The nurse looked up. The room was empty, with the only occupant being the nurse.

"Oh! If it isn't…" She pretended to ponder.

"Sakura," She supplied helpfully.

"I remember now! The Japanese student!" Yimin jumped up. "So, what's the problem today? Headache? Heartache?"

Sakura blushed. "None of that, really. I just was wondering if I could have anymore of those sleeping pills you gave to me a few weeks back."

"Oh… Those…" She was already pulling out the bottle from the cabinet. "I suspected as much, though, you didn't seem like the insomniac kind at first." She flashed a grin at Sakura. "Still having nightmares?"

Sakura chuckled and sat down on a plastic folding chair near the nurse's desk. "Sometimes… mostly it's to knock myself out for a few hours so that I can get enough rest. Rest is important, ne, Yimin-san? Especially for a sorcerer."

The little plastic ziplock bag fell from the nurse's fingers. Yimin turned to Sakura slowly, gazing warily at the girl.

"What… did you just say?" She hissed out, already reaching into her pocket.

"Li Clan sorcerers are unusually talented at hiding their auras. Even I had a problem detecting Li-kun's aura. If I had not known that he was a sorcerer, I would have missed him out completely," Sakura said, standing up. She pulled out the Star Key and dropped it over her uniform. "You, on the other hand, are not that skilled in that area. It only took your reaction to confirm that you're from the Li Clan. One of Li-kun's observers, I take it?"

Yimin pulled the tassel from her pocket in a flash and it materialized into a long sword. She held it out defensively and warned, "I don't know who you are, but if you dare leak any of this-"

"Please, Yimin-san, the sorcerer community is a tight-knit one. Even if we're total strangers, we have the sense of pride to keep each other's identities a secret," Sakura tucked her hands into her pockets. "If from what you have seen, still believe that I am dishonorable, then by all means feel free to make your move."

Yimin didn't waste a second.

She dashed forwards, swinging her sword at Sakura's neck. The sharp blade cut through the air with startling speed.

Sakura closed her eyes and stood still.

**XxxX**

"Please don't strain yourself," Mizuki chided, walking into the room with a tray of tea and cakes. "Or you'll find yourself back in bed by the end of the day."

Eriol smiled, waving his hands and setting the two dumbbells he had been levitating back onto the floor. "I apologise. But I find my control getting better by doing such exercises."

"Yes, yes, keep it up and your magic will start developing muscles," She joked, pouring him tea. "Maybe you can do something more productive, like rearranging your furniture?"

Eriol blinked.

"I didn't think of that."

"It wasn't meant as a suggestion, Eriol."

"But nevertheless, this room does look like it needs some refurbishing, hm?" His mouth slowly curled into a Cheshire-cat grin.

The teacher sighed and set the cup of tea in front of the boy. "Just don't make too much noise. I can fool Tomoyo into thinking that the bolster she's attending to is you, but if you draw attention to yourself, even I will be hard pressed to keep up and illusion of a seemingly empty room on top of the existing illusion."

Eriol nodded, serving himself some cake. "I understand. No flamboyant magic until I can cast illusions myself."

"That really wasn't what I meant."

"Still…" Eriol stuck a fork of chocolate cake into his mouth. "I'm worried about Sakura. China is a hive for sorcerers, and her position as the Card Mistress may not be all that well received by the rest of the sorcerer community just yet. She hasn't even made her grand debut."

"Neither have you, for being Clow's reincarnation," Mizuki pointed out.

"I just want a quiet, ordinary life," Eriol leant back into his armchair and sighed. "As if living one life as Clow isn't enough… oh wait, I was remembering just one half. I bet the other half of the memories will discourage me even more from returning to the world as Clow's reincarnation."

Mizuki's hand trembled. She hurriedly set the cup back down onto the saucer in fear of dropping the entire cup.

Eriol too set the fork back onto the plate.

They sat in stiff silence for a moment.

"Do you remember who did it?" Mizuki whispered. "The one that put you in that state-"

"No," Eriol sighed, propping his chin on his palm. "I know that it's someone that I knew. I recognized that aura that attacked me. But I just can't place a finger on who exactly it is."

"Do you think – Fujitaka-san's memories?"

"I don't know. Perhaps I intentionally sealed off that portion of memories. I don't know."

She clenched her fists. "Do you think… he may be after Sakura?"

"I… don't know…"

She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. If only I could tap into Fujitaka-san's memories… I still have not gotten used to his magic, let alone memories. I'm afraid that if I don't take this step by step, the other half of the memories will overwhelm me," Eriol dropped his head back against the armchair. "That may set my recovery back even more."

"I understand. Take your time," Mizuki rubbed the back of his hand soothingly. "Sakura… should be able to take care of herself."

"I know… but I'm quite worried as to how the Li Clan will treat her," Eriol gave a small smile. "After all, the cute little descendent of mine seems to be quite the hot-headed boy on the inside."

"Cute… little descendent?"

"The future Clan Head."

**XxxX**

Sakura opened her eyes.

It was as expected.

Yimin had stopped the blade short of just a hair's width from her neck. The woman's wavering eyes dropped and so did her sword.

"Why did you just stand there like that? Weren't you worried that I might have sliced your head off your neck?" Yimin hissed out harshly.

Sakura met her eyes. "It was a gamble I was willing to take."

"You were gambling your _life!_"

"Even so, if I did it otherwise, would it have gained your attention and respect, no matter how grudgingly it was?" She sat back down on the bed. Her legs were already trembling. It seemed like it would still take a while longer before she fully recovered.

"…You're unbelievable," Yimin whispered. She sealed her sword back into her tassel and wound it around her wrist. "Who are you?"

"I am Kinomoto Sakura. I am the Card Mistress," Sakura replied. Yimin blinked, eyeing her incredulously.

"Prove it."

Sakura touched her key and released Libra, showing the woman the pink card.

Yimin took a slight step forward, examining the card. She frowned and said, "It's… a bit different from what the books depicted. For one, it was not recorded to be pink in colour."

"The Cards had to be converted in order for me to truly become the Card Mistress. This is but their real form right now," Sakura flipped the card with a sharp twist of her fingers and the card activated. It glowed a pale white and the dim light enveloped the room.

Yimin took a look around the infirmary. The room was bathed in white light, making everything but the two occupants look faded and insignificant.

"Libra: The Judgment," Sakura said, walking up to Yimin. "No lies will be said in its presence."

"…As you've said… this really is a Clow Card…" Yimin let out a low hiss. "Libra, the card that is said to be the ultimate truth. The only thing that had the same effect is that of Clow's Card."

"No more lies. From now on, I will not lie to any of you all. But in return, you all are bound by the sorcerer's code of honor to keep our secrets a secret," Sakura extended her hand, letting the Libra Card rest in between them.

"You are unexpectedly very well-versed in our customs," Yimin commented, touching the Card.

She smiled. "I had good teachers."

The Libra flashed and the room was returned to its original lighting.

"From now on, we cannot lie to each other," Sakura said, pocketing the card. "At the same time, we cannot divulge each other's secrets to anyone but the two of us."

"And for what reason? Why have you decided to make this sacrifice?" Yimin sat down and crossed her arms.

Sakura sat down as well, lacing her fingers together and looking down at the floor.

"Probably… because I wanted someone to confide in. And you were the only one I could trust to do so."

She didn't know whether to feel honored or worried.

**XxxX**

"Sakura's powers have grown. She's really a prodigy," Nakuru said as she chomped on the chocolate Mizuki had dropped off. "I began overseeing her training after you went to sleep. She trained like a maniac."

Eriol frowned. "You didn't stop her?"

Nakuru grinned, "She tied me to a tree with Woody and set a barrier around me to stop me from going within a 10 feet radius of her whenever she caught me spying on her training. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have been able to lift a finger."

"So, what has she accomplished?" Eriol leant back into his chair.

The Guardian's eyes glinted.

"Things even Clow couldn't complete."

The reincarnation let an interested smile stretch on his face. "Do elaborate."

"Let's see… I suppose her greatest achievement was her fusion." Nakuru picked up a piece of chocolate and bit into it, letting the chocolate filling ooze out of the hard shell. "She's amazing. Barely a few months of training and she already managed to combine several cards at once to amplify the effect."

He leant forward. "She merged the cards?" His excitement was almost contagious.

Nakuru shook her head. "Nah, it's like…" She picked up another chocolate, bit away a half and pieced the two halves of chocolate in her hands together. "She uses two or more cards, summons their powers, and mashes them up to produce an amazing and super powerful attack. I bet even you didn't think of doing that, huh?"

Eriol dropped back against his chair. "I must admit, I didn't. So… How were the results?"

Nakuru's grin dropped.

"To put it short, she has acquired many different ways of causing mass destruction. Or ending a life."

His hands clenched on the armrests of the chair.

"I'm not sure if it's to get revenge or to just become stronger but… the Sakura right now… if she really sets her mind on destroying something, I'm sure that she could really cause irreparable damage," Nakuru popped the chocolate into her mouth. "But Sakura is still kind. She's just… less merciful, more pragmatic. She was cut off from most of her friends after Fujitaka-san's death. Her friends thought that they were giving her space to mourn, but that just added fuel to the flame. She poured all her energy into training, hardly any into her friends, and became a socially stunted girl in her teens."

"And… what did you do about that?" Eriol asked quietly, staring at his Guardian very seriously.

"There was nothing I could do," she shrugged. "What Sakura wanted… was a confidant that wouldn't give her a biased opinion. I wouldn't do, because I am already so deeply involved with you. Her friends wouldn't do either, because her problems originated from sorcerers. They had no magic, and she was bounded by the code to not divulge information unnecessarily. She needed a sorcerer who wasn't a friend. And she couldn't find it in Tomoeda."

Eriol sighed deeply.

"Well, she may get lucky in China. There's bound to be many sorcerers out there!" Nakuru said optimistically.

Eriol let out a weary smile.

"I really hope so, Nakuru."

**XxxX**

**To be Continued…**

**I originally wanted to continue the chapter a bit further but I decided to cut it off here because this chapter was quite scene-rich… meaning that I jumped back and forth between scenes… which I'm not too fond of because I only wanted to do such things during a fight-intensive chapter and this was just dialogue intensive.**

**A LOT of Eriol in this chapter because I wanted to do his long absence justice. He's going to be important because he's part of the main reason of Sakura's change. The Shanghai immersion is also going to be a major part of the Past arc because we'll be seeing many points of view.**

**I'm still deciding on how I'm going to write the next few chapters so do forgive me if I take much longer than usual. On top of that, I just realized that I have 5 projects going on concurrently and all of them are playing a major percentage in my final scores so I think I should end this AN over here.**

**Please do leave your reviews and comments below!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! It's been a while!**

**I'm actually supposed to be doing my Math project right now but I've been delegated some funny drawing work that requires some wait so I'm finishing up this chapter in the short pocket of time I can steal! Without further ado, I present to you all - - - **

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 10**

_Like a Sakura_

_If anything, I wouldn't want anything to be associated with that flower._

_I didn't want anything so beautiful to be so transient…_

_Gone within a few days_

_Because what I felt for them_

_Wasn't temporary_

_I wanted them to be eternal_

…

_If only they had reciprocated._

_Or tried to…_

**XxxX**

"Li-kun is coming back today?" Sakura asked excitedly as she accompanied Meiling to the bookstore. "Is he better already?"

Meiling nodded. She walked around, looking at the books. "He's much better. He woke up last week, actually, but the Elders wanted to keep him under observation. Lady Yelan is sending him back today. He'll be with us by tomorrow."

Sakura smiled and looked over the book section as well. _'Amazing how close we became in three weeks… It's like we never hated each other.'_

"Oi, Sakura," Meiling turned to look at the Japanese girl. "Your Tomoeda friends are coming tomorrow too, right?"

"Oh… I nearly forgot…" Sakura's hand hovered over a book. "But the ones that might be coming might not be my friends so…"

"But if they are your friends, would you go meet with them?" She questioned.

Sakura hesitated.

Meiling folded her arms. "Could you… go spend time with them?"

"Eh?" Sakura's eyes widened. "But… I…"

"It'd do you some good," Meiling snatched to complete the sentence. "You haven't met them in ages, have you?"

"But…"

"Then that's settled! You'll go tag along with them after school! Okay?" Meiling's face was bright and excited. Sakura couldn't feel the heart to resist.

She sighed and nodded. "Alright then. Since Meiling wants me to do it, I will."

"Great!" She turned back to the books and picked out a martial arts comic. She flipped it over, checked the summary, and raised it up to show Sakura. "I've decided on this one. You should try it sometime as well."

Sakura glanced at the cover, mildly interested. "Is it manga?"

"Manga? Er… I think so…" She flipped the book over her hands, searching for any opening in the vacuumed plastic wrapping. "Why not you take one and try it out?"

Sakura felt her pocket for her wallet. She gave a weak laugh and said, "Well, I'm a bit short on money right now so… I really can't afford a manga…"

"Oh. I forgot," Meiling walked away. Sakura followed her to the cashier. She paid for the book quickly and they were out of the shop in seconds. Meiling turned to the girl and said, "Sorry about that. Hey, if you want, maybe I can drop a few copies of the series at your table tomorrow. You can read them and pass it back to me once you're done."

"Really? That'd be great, Meiling!" Sakura gave a bright grin.

Meiling grinned back and lead the way back to the main street, saying, "I'd better get back soon. I need to get dinner ready for Xiaolang."

"I see. Then you better get going. See you tomorrow, Meiling," Sakura waved at the girl. Meiling nodded and began dashing her way back to the apartment complex she was staying at. Sakura watched the girl go for a few moments before she slowly strolled back to the dormitory.

_Having a friend… _

_Wasn't so bad._

_It just wasn't a Tomoyo._

**XxxX**

He laid on the bed motionlessly, eyes closed. His sunglasses were discarded on the sheets unceremoniously. His fists clenched as he thought about what he going to do the next day.

Tomorrow… he would get some answers.

**XxxX**

They arrived at the school at 8 in the morning. The three friends looked up at the large school compound, undaunted by the sheer size and amount of students bustling around the corridors.

Chiharu gripped Naoko's hand tightly.

Yamazaki squeezed Chiharu's shoulder.

Naoko gulped and clenched her fists.

It was time for some answers.

**XxxX**

Sakura sat on the bed, smoothing the starched sheets of the infirmary beds. She looked up at Yimin, who was diligently looking over the stock for the month.

"You sneaked some pills out, didn't you?" She accused softly, her tone dismayed rather than angry.

Sakura bowed her head. "I'm sorry. But it has helped. I don't get dreams anymore."

"Dreams are important for a sorcerer. A strong sorcerer is able to foretell the future through his dreams," Yimin rebutted.s

"Dreams that are truly important wouldn't be hindered by sleeping pills," She refuted.

"Touche."

"Is there anything else you'd like me to do?" Sakura asked, reaching over for her bag.

"No… why don't you go see the Young Master?" Yimin caught Sakura's confused look. "Xiaolang, I mean."

"Ah…" She glanced at her watch. "I guess… but the exchange students are letting out in 10 minutes and I wanted to meet up with them…"

Yimin sighed and crossed her arms. "You have met Xiaolang already, haven't you?"

"Of course! We sit beside each other in class," Sakura gave an indignant huff.

"… So, have you talked?"

Sakura stared at the white sheets silently, letting a glum expression flicker across her face.

"…Yeah…"

_0 -0- 0 - 0-_

_She found him on the roof. Sakura leapt up to the roof of the little stairway on the roof, hesitantly making her way over and sitting down a slight distance away from him._

_He sat up, brown tousled hair gleaming in the sunlight._

"_It's… been a while, Li-kun," Sakura said softly, bring her knees to her chest and hugging them. "How have you been…?"_

"_Better," He grunted in response. He ran a hand through his hair._

_Sakura bit her lip and looked down._

"_Why didn't you say a thing? About knowing who I was… as a sorcerer… About knowing who that crazy sorceress in the well was… About you being the freaking Card Mistress," he hissed the last part out harshly. Sakura flinched._

"_For that… I have no excuse…"_

_Shaoran snarled._

"_Except for the fact that I didn't want… "She looked at him, eyes filled with only the reflection of her honesty – eyes he would never see. "I didn't want that to get in between in friendship we had in between us."_

"_And you expected keeping such a secret from me to not break off _ourfriendship_?" _

_She flinched. _

"_No… but look now – this is how you're reacting to the knowledge of who I am and-"_

"_That's because -" He growled and tugged his hair in frustration. "I'm betrayed that you wouldn't consider me close enough a friend to tell me these kinds of things. You were the exception to the silly troop of girls in this school. I became _friends _with you because you were different. You understood. You made an attempt you understand. And you broke it all by choosing to keep this important secret away from me!"_

"…" _Sakura slowly stood up._

"_Where're you going? This is not over," He hissed._

"_If… you had met a person for just a few days… and then suddenly you're confronted with the fact that he's a sorcerer – like you. And, if your identity was meant to be kept a secret… No matter how specially you thought about that person, would you still divulge your identity to this person whom you've met for just a while? Whom you knew was a part of the society that hadn't completely accepted her for who she was yet?"_

_He stiffened._

"_And if you knew that your identity was going to cause him pain – that you had stolen what had been preempted for him to fight for – you would still have the heart to tell him that?"_

_His fists clenched._

"_And if…" She shook her head and sighed. "Forget it. This… would probably just be me complaining about the unfairness of it all to you." She walked over to the edge of the roof and prepared to jump down. "By the way, Li-kun…"_

_She gave him a glance. _

"…_You too… have your own secrets. So what made me keeping mine any different?"_

_0 – - 0- 0 0 _

Sakura let out a groan and dropped onto the perfectly made sheets, messing them up.

"Hey! You have to remake the bed if you keep that up!" Yimin scolded, giving her a little slap on the thigh.

Sakura rolled onto her stomach and moaned, "I really shouldn't have said such things to him… Now he's going to hate me for sure!"

Yimin crossed her arms and leant back in her chair. "What did you say?"

"…" Sakura grimaced and looked away.

"Well, I suppose that doesn't make much of a difference now anyways," Yimin turned to the papers on the desk. "Once the words have been said, they can't be taken back. The question now is that – did you mean what you said?"

Sakura closed her eyes and thought.

And, she had her answer.

"The words I said were… what I really thought. I meant every word." Sakura said, sitting up. "And… I don't regret them at all."

Yimin murmured and picked up her pen. "Then you have nothing to worry about, hm?"

"But… even so, they were still mean…"

"What doesn't kill him will make him stronger," Yimin quoted. "By the way, shouldn't the program for those exchange students be over by now?"

Sakura glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped up. "Hoe! I'm late!" She grabbed her bag and dashed to the door. "Ja, Yimin-san!"

"Be careful on your way!" Yimin called, not looking up. It was only when the door shut closed that she let her head lift up. Yimin put her pen down and sighed, cupping her chin with her hands.

"That girl… really… is too kind for her own good."

**XxxX**

"And with that, the program for today is finished! Please remember that bed check is at 10pm so please return to your dorm room by then! Classes will start at 8am sharp tomorrow!" The teacher said to the small group of students. He looked down at the small huddle of students, and was met with a range of curious and confused looks. "Do you understand?"

There were a few murmurs in reply.

"Zhu-laoshi, I don't think they're that fluent in Mandarin yet."

"Eh – Muzhiben," the teacher raised his eyebrows. "What're you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if I knew anyone here…" Sakura looked at the group of 15 students and made out 3 right away. She smiled brightly at the three, who smiled back. And then, her face fell.

So she really didn't come after all.

"Then if you say so… translate everything to them! I need to go off for a meeting now," The teacher passed the file over to her. "Put it back in my locker once you're done. Thanks, Muzhiben!"

"Yes," Sakura bowed to him and turned back to the students. She flipped opened the file and began translating the Chinese text into fluent Japanese. "Ano… The schedule for tomorrow is…"

**XxxX**

Shaoran threw his bag onto the floor with a thud and dropped onto his bed angrily. He growled and slammed a fist onto the wall angrily.

"_Xiaolang, my son, you have been met with a difficult emotional choice. How you deal with it is your choice, but this choice will define you. I hope you will choose the most appropriate course of action regarding this matter. And if you chose the wrong option… well, maybe the Li Clan will be seeing Xiefa and her fiancée as the next Clan Heads, hm?"_

This wasn't his fault! It was hers, for keeping thing from him. He had treated her differently from all the other girls – and she had trampled on the trust he gave to her. Was it too much, to ask for her to be truthful to him?

"…_You too… have your own secrets. So what made me keeping mine any different?" _

But she **knew**! She knew that he was a sorcerer – that he was the Li Clan heir. She knew and yet she still chose to kept it from him. It was different in his case. He had no idea she was the – freaking – Card Mistress that owned the very cards he was meant to own! She was the one obligated to tell him. She was the one at fault for keeping secrets in their relationship.

…

Who was he kidding?

How could he feel the pride and arrogance and ignorance to pass off the blame to her because she knew and he didn't? If anything, he should have been ashamed of the fact that she had managed to wheedle his identity out from mere aura sensing. He was one of the most skilled in hiding his aura, and the fact that she had managed to sense him out was a direct slap to his abilities – and the Clan's abilities – as well as her own skill. He had twice the amount of experience, damn it! He should have been the one to find her out!

…

But… inside, he knew he was glad that it had been her.

How would he have reacted to knowing she was the Card Mistress?

And how would he have handled it?

He knew – that if presented with the same scenario –

He probably… would have done the same.

…

But it still couldn't mask the overwhelming sense of betrayal. He thought he meant much more than that. Even though it was just a few weeks, the relationship that had developed in between them was closer than even what he and Meiling had.

Great, now he was feeling guilty towards his fiancée.

Meiling was undeniably one of the most important people in his life. She had helped him tide over his grief when he had lost his sight and father at the same time. She was always there, looking out for him. She was always bound to be behind him no matter what happened. He had begun to take her presence and feelings for him for granted.

How he had been taking her presence for granted pained him. But even so, he knew that he would never be close enough to the girl for him to take her as a wife.

…

This was really turning into something complicated.

He sighed. Tomorrow, he would…

Make amends.

**XxxX**

Sakura approached the three, smiling and giving a small wave.

Naoko gave a sniff and lunged forward, enveloping the girl in a tight hug.

"Sakura-chan!" Naoko cried in happiness, squeezing the life out of the girl.

"Na-naoko-chan… air…" Sakura gasped out. Naoko let go immediately, but held the girl by the shoulders and gave her a once-over.

"Sakura-chan… it's really been a while," Chiharu said, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. She moved forward and hugged her friend tightly. "I'm so glad to see you again…"

"Chiharu-chan…" Sakura returned the embrace. They parted and Sakura turned to the last member of the little reunion. "Yamazaki-kun…"

"It's been a while, Kinomoto-chan," Yamazaki gave a nod, eyes curved into an arch. "Shanghai really is a beautiful place. I hope you're doing well."

Sakura frowned slightly from the lack of made-up trivia, but nevertheless wiped the frown off her face in seconds and gave him a grin. "Thank you, Yamazaki-kun."

"You've become really proficient in Mandarin, Sakura-chan," Naoko commended. "I couldn't understand a thing that man said – I don't think any of us actually do. We were just smiling and nodding our heads throughout the day. I doubt even the ones who have been really diligent is learning it understood half of what they man said.

Sakura chuckled at the thought. "I see. I guess the little crash course wasn't much of use, ne?"

"Talk about it," Chiharu gave a little roll of her eyes. "But it was worth it – we got to see you, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura winced.

And they didn't miss it.

"Sakura-chan…"

"I'm sorry…" Sakura stepped back and looked down at her feet. "I didn't mean to ruin the moment. Just… I wasn't entirely prepared to see you all again."

"Aren't you said about not seeing Daidouji-san?" Yamazaki asked.

"I am… I was disappointed that she didn't come, like you all did. Just that…" Sakura looked at them with half lidded eyes. "I don't think… I could have met her eyes, even if she had. That would have just made things worse in between us. And… even though I miss her, I really don't want things to be anymore strained between us. I know that… she also doesn't wish to see me…"

"Sakura-chan…" Chiharu gripped her friend's hands.

"Actually, Sakura-chan, we came here for a reason. It's not just to see you," Naoko said seriously, taking both of Sakura' hands and squeezing them.

"What is it?" Sakura looked at the three of them curiously.

"We want the truth. What happened to you all?" Chiharu asked, looking at Sakura in the eyes.

Sakura dodged those eyes immediately.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Sakura."

Sakura looked up in shock. Her eyes widened in recognition as she met the bright amber eyes of the long haired woman.

"Mizuki-sensei…" Sakura breathed out. "Why…"

"It's been a while, Sakura-chan," Mizuki bent down and gave the girl a pat on the shoulder. "You've grown skinnier, ne?"

"Eh?" Chiharu looked at the loose black blazer of Sakura' uniform. "That's true!" Her hands shot forward to touch her ribs.

"Chiharu-chan!" Sakura blushed, dodging the girl's hands. "I'm ticklish!"

"Sakura-chan, you have eye bags," Naoko noted seriously.

"Kinomoto-san always took good care of herself, even when times were bad. Something is up," Yamazaki chipped in helpfully.

"Really…" Sakura blushed and looked down.

"…Is it something you can't tell us?" Chiharu asked softly.

Sakura looked away.

Mizuki sighed and decided to step in. "Alright, alright… you all better go get some food to eat. It's already 6.30 and I bet you all are hungry."

"Ah, it really is that late!" Naoko looked at her watch and gasped. "I wanted to visit the library too…"

"Why not we go get a quick bite and you all can follow Sakura around? I bet she's more familiar with this place than you are," Mizuki suggested, patting Sakura's head. Sakura blushed again.

"Great idea! Let's get going then," Yamazaki took Chiharu's hand and the group walked towards that canteen together, catching up on lost time.

**XxxX**

"Illusion… illusion… Make… Sakura petals?" Eriol waved his hands around uncertainly. There was brief flicker of pink around the room but the spell still failed. He sighed and ran a hand through his blue locks. "Really… Kaho made them seem so easy…"

"Is it because you don't have the Cards to guide you anymore?" Suppi asked lazily as he lounged around on the couch.

"No, not really. What kind of sorcerer would I be if I relied solely on the Cards?" Eriol smiled at his Guardian.

"Maybe if you focused a lot more on mastering the Cards, you would be a terrifying sorcerer like Sakura is right now," Suppi replied. "And maybe perhaps I can indulge in sweetened coffee without going into a sugar high."

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Eriol chuckled and sat back down. "You and Keroberos got along so well."

Suppi gave an irritated growl at the mention of his counterpart. "I still haven't settled the score. We're tied at 56-57 for Street Fighters and I want that win!"

Eriol smirked and leant on his left arm. "I promise you that we will go and meet them very soon, Suppi."

Suppi sniffed and burrowed deeper into the cushions. "Take it easy, Eriol. Rushing it will be detrimental."

"I understand," Eriol sighed stood up again. "But the illusion Kaho set up won't last for long. I need to get a hang of this."

"Did Sakura give any advice? I mean, before everything…" Suppi murmured. "She was quite good at them, if I recall…"

"Hm… let me recall…" Eriol assumed a thoughtful pose. "Illusions… illusions… What you want them to see… Or rather, let them see what they want to see…" He snapped his fingers. "Let's try it then!"

"Eriol?"

"**Yes?"**

Suppi gave a squeak of fright when he met the eyes of Clow Reed, in full ceremonial garb and staff out. In his hands was a tray of sinfully sweetened sweets and cakes, slathered mercilessly with chocolate and icing.

"Stop that!" Suppi yelped in annoyance, scooting away from Clow. "Not the sweets!"

"It worked then?" Eriol asked, dispelling the illusion. "What did you see?"

"…Clow… with sweets," Suppi shuddered, floating to the door. "You've got the hang of it. Now go test it out on Ruby Moon."

Eriol laughed and sat back down on the coach. "Sakura really is talented… never thought of illusions that way before…"

His eyes darkened.

"If I had been more skilled in this area, then maybe I wouldn't have fallen into that trap."

His hands clenched the armrests until his knuckles were white.

**XxxX**

"How have you been, Sakura-chan? How's work? Any friends?" Naoko interrogated as they sat down with a bowl of dumpling noodles.

Sakura smiled, poking her food with the chopsticks. "The Chinese characters took a while to get used to, but thankfully Kanji is quite similar to it so I managed to get used to it quickly. Other than that, I learnt through experience. I think you too will learn through the environment."

"But the teachers talk way too fast," Chiharu complained, slurping up the noodles. "Hey, this is quite good!"

"Is it?" Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"…Don't you know?" Naoko furrowed her eyebrows. "After all, you are the one who stayed her for a few months…"

Sakura blushed. "Sorry… I just didn't eat this yet."

Chiharu raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"So what about friends?" Yamazaki asked, effectively directing the conversation elsewhere.

Sakura nodded, "I made a few friends here."

"Like who? Who?" Naoko asked. "Is it a guy or a girl? Smart? Attractive?"

"Um, Meiling is a rather athletic person and she's into martial arts…" Sakura bit her lip and deliberated. "There's also Yimin-san, the school nurse. She's really nice to me…"

"The nurse? Were you sick?" Yamazaki asked in concern.

"I had a bit of trouble adjusting to the environment," Sakura laughed. "It was nothing. Just a bit of insomnia and exhaustion. I got over it quickly."

"I see…"

"Haven't you made any guy friends?" Chiharu probed.

"Eto…"

"You have, haven't you?" Chiharu teased.

"He's not really a friend… just a deskmate…" Sakura mumbled. "We're… not on really good terms anymore so…" She gave them a pleading look.

They dropped the subject immediately.

"So how's everything in Tomoeda?" It was her turn to ask the questions.

"Ah, just plain old Tomoeda…" Naoko mumbled.

"Tomoyo was kicked out of choir," Chiharu supplied.

The chopsticks in Sakura's hand clattered to the table.

"What?" She breathed out.

Yamazaki nodded solemnly. "She didn't want to spend time in choir… instead, she went to Hiiragizawa-kun's house everyday to take care of him. The seniors decided that she wasn't going to commit to choir anymore so they kicked her out. She didn't argue."

"No way…" Sakura looked down at her untouched bowl of noodles.

"Sakura-chan…" Naoko reached forward to grip her hand. "Tomoyo-chan… what happened between you two? Why is Hiiragizawa-kun in coma? What happened to your father? Sakura-chan, we really came here to ask you these questions."

"Please…"

"Sakura-chan?"

"Please… don't ask these questions anymore," Sakura whispered out. Her head was dipped forward, bangs over her eyes. "I… I can't tell you anymore than you already know so…" She stood up. "I need to finish my work. I'll be leaving now."

"Sakura-chan!" Chiharu stood up to stop her but Sakura had already dashed to the door and was out of sight before she had even taken a step out of her seat.

Naoko looked down remorsefully. "Sorry… I should have kept my mouth shut. I'm such an idiot."

"Don't say such things!" Chiharu scolded, sitting back down.

Yamazaki sighed, setting his chopsticks down. "Yes… we just took things a bit too fast. It's alright."

"Do you think she'll forgive me?" Naoko asked softly.

Chiharu and Yamazaki shared a glance. Chiharu gave a huff and said, "It's Sakura. Of course she'll forgive you."

**XxxX**

Sakura dropped onto the bed. She didn't feel like working. She didn't feel like exercising. She didn't want to talk. She just wanted to rest. She didn't want to dream. She just wanted to feel like a normal girl, free of all these burdens and duties.

All of a sudden, sorcery seemed so uninviting to her.

Unable to tell even her own childhood friends the truth. Unable to tell one of the closest friends she ever made the truth, resulting in a gap in their relationship. Sending one of her closest and most important mentor-figures into a deep coma, uncertain whether he'd ever wake up.

Causing a rift in between her and her best friend, making each other so distant that she couldn't even bear to look at her in the eyes. Losing her only love's affection in order to fulfill her duties.

Raising the attention of a malevolent sorcerer, resulting in her own father's death in order to save her mentor.

Sakura choked back a sob.

She couldn't cry.

She couldn't hate sorcery.

Because if she did, she would truly be alone.

Sakura reached into her pocket and pulled out a small ziplock. She popped a few of the pills into her mouth, ignoring the recommended dosage.

She just wanted to sleep and wake up with everything okay.

She wanted to be able to smile and say: "Everything will be alright!" once again.

She wiped a stray tear away from her eyes.

Why couldn't everything be alright?

Was the strength of her wish, no, yearning, not strong enough?

"_Mistress…"_

Without her consent, the Moon Guardian unsealed himself and knelt down beside Sakura. He swept her auburn locks from her face, caressing her cool pale cheeks.

Her unseeing eyes looked past him.

Yue closed his eyes in silent agony, pulling the girl into a hug and letting her rest on his lap leaning against his chest as she fell into a drugged sleep.

**XxxX**

_The man stood, still staring down at the circle at his feet where he watched the event unfold. He let a smirk slide over his mouth._

"_So now you know… the curse that the Clow Cards are… the life of darkness that power brings to you…"_

_His yukata rustled._

"_Shall I deliver more, then?"_

**XxxX**

She woke with cold sweat trickling down her face and back. Sakura laid frozen in her bed for a few seconds before she noticed the presence of her Moon Guardian by her side, stroking her sweaty bangs out of her face. Sakura moaned and leant into the touch, burrowing up against the male and breathing into the cool white fabric of his robes.

"Mistress?"

"Yue…" She breathed out. Her hands gripped his silky robes and bunched them in her fists. "What… are you doing?"

"You were having difficulties. I wanted to be here for you," Yue murmured, wrapping his arms around her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura cracked open her eyes.

"Yue, are people inherently evil?"

Yue sat in silence for a while.

"Why… are people so cruel to others? Why do they not care about others and barge on in their tirade, not caring about the hurt or destruction that they leave behind?" Sakura whispered, leaning close to him. "Are they apathetic to the suffering they cause? How can they be so cruel?"

Yue ran his fingers through her hair. "I don't think people are evil. They probably just want to… protect the thing they value the most, to an extent that they don't care what they do in order to protect that one precious thing."

"Am I precious to you, Yue?" Sakura asked.

Yue's grip tightened. "Of course. You are the most precious person in my whole life."

"Would you… hurt others to protect me, then?"

Yue faltered.

"Yue?"

"Ye… Yes, I would. I would do anything to protect you, Sakura," He said softly.

Sakura's fingers clenched his robes.

"I see…"

**XxxX**

Shaoran stepped into the classroom. He made his way to the back seat, second one from the window.

"Xiaolang!"

He barely suppressed the groan coming out.

"Yes, Meiling?" He muttered, sitting down.

Meiling sat in Sakura's seat, dragging the chair towards him with a horrible screech. Shaoran winced at the sharp sound. She took his hands and held them tightly, making it hard for him to slip them out of her grip without wrenching her hands off first.

"I was thinking… that since we're fifteen and going sixteen… well…" He could practically feel the heat of her blush from where he was sitting. She squeezed his hands so hard that he couldn't feel the tips of his fingers. "Could we go on a date after school?"

"Huh?" He sat up straight.

"Well – we're engaged and all… It's not weird for fiancées to go out before their marriage, right?" Meiling was clenching his hands too tightly. "So… today? After school? I know a great place that sells amazing dumplings and I know how much you love Dim Sum and –"

"Meiling…" Shaoran's voice was strained.

Her excited tone dropped.

He wiggled his now numb hand. "Let go… Please?"

She let out a gasp and released his hands immediately. He sighed as he felt the blood gush back into his cold and numb hands. She had an unbelievable strong grip. As expected.

"So… After school?"

"Huh? Yeah… sure… what?"

"Yatta!" She cried out happily. "I'll tell Wei that we'll be out for the afternoon, okay? I'm so excited! Our first date!" She pushed the chair back with another screech and jumped up.

"A… date…?"

"Thank you, Xiaolang!" He felt a hot breath near his cheek and then suddenly something soft and wet pressed themselves against his cheek.

Was that her mouth?

"See you after school!" She sang, dancing off to her own seat.

Shaoran rubbed the back of his hand against the wet spot on his cheek in muted disgust.

What… was that about?

**XxxX**

And so he found himself accompanying Meiling after school to the bustling streets of Shanghai.

By accompany, he meant forcefully and violently dragged out of class when the end of school bell struck.

"Where-"

"There's an eatery around the corner! It served these amazing dumplings that I'm sure you'd like! Come on – it's right over here!" She pulled him sideways. He narrowly dodged the door frame, walking into the humid restaurant that was saturated with the tantalizing smell of freshly fried dumplings. He loosened this tie and unbuttoned his shirt. This place really was too hot for his liking.

Meiling found them a seat quickly. She sat him down on the wooden stool and sat opposite him. "What do you want? They have pork dumplings… vegetable-filled… shrimps… Oh, even sweet and sour soup! I'm sure you'd like that, ne, Xiaolang?"

"Hn… Anything will do," Shaoran shrugged.

"Alright! Then we'll order 15 of each kind and a bowl of soup. Tea?"

He shrugged.

"Chinese tea then… Waitress!" Meiling quickly rattled off the order to the waitress who hurried off immediately once she was done.

Meiling took his hands again, though this time she didn't surround them in a death grip. "Thank you for coming today, Xiaolang."

"Hm…" _'You didn't exactly give me that much of a choice… did you?'_

"I've been waiting for a date for so long! I'm so glad we finally managed to do something like this…"

"Meiling?"

"Yes? Yes?"

"What happened to Kinomoto? I wanted to talk to her but she wasn't in class the whole day…"

He could feel her grip tighten exponentially.

"Didn't you hear? She's not going to attend class for the next few days or so. They needed a translator who could understand and translate both Japanese and Chinese for the transfer students. Sakura was the only one who could do it."

"I see…" Shaoran frowned. He was going to have to seek her out, then?

"But from what I heard, she's really excited about meeting her ex-classmates from Japan. Three of them were her childhood friends and they were really close," Meiling informed.

"Friends?"

He couldn't see the Sakura he knew as one with plenty of friends. Someone as shy and silent as her? No way…

"Yeah! She was really glad to see them… I think she's going to spend a lot of time with them for the next few weeks that they're here!"

"I see…"

Was she angry with him? Was that why she was avoiding him?

"But enough about that, Xiaolang. I want to know more about you," Meiling squeezed his hands. "How have you been? Did the Elders give you any problem?"

"The Elders? They're still in the mountains. It was Mother that insisted I rest before coming back to Shanghai," Shaoran inclined his head slightly. "What did you hear?"

"Eh? I thought… the Elders…"

"Mother wanted me to be fully rested before I came back. She was being over paranoid though… I could stand on my two feet even without half of my magical reserves…" He muttered irritably.

"I see… but you're fully recovered, right?"

He gave a silent nod.

"Oh, our food is here!" He could smell the freshly cooked dumplings on the table. It smelt… unexpectedly good.

"Meiling, this is…"

"It's the best dumplings I've ever eaten! Here – your chopsticks. I'll put a few in your bowl, ne?" She pressed a pair of wooden chopsticks into his hand and took his bowl, putting a few of the pot stickers into the porcelain bowl. "Careful, they're hot!"

He took the bowl and lifted it up, smelling the food. "It… smells good…"

"Try it!"

He obliged, using his chopsticks to pick up a piece and biting into the crispy tender skin.

"It's… good…" He would never admit it to her face but it really is the best dumplings he had ever eaten… in his life.

"I'm right, ne?" She laughed happily.

Strange, how she could be so happy from seeing him eat.

But there was a gnawing feeling in his heart when he knew that he could never bring himself to love her like a lover.

**XxxX**

Sakura looked out of the window. She was leaning against the walls of the auditorium, stationed so that she could provide quick translations to the Japanese students and teachers alike.

"Sakura-chan, what does this mean?" Chiharu hissed. Sakura walked over and read over the girl's shoulder.

"That's an expression… an idiom, you can say," Sakura replied. "It means that there are a lot of books. The first two characters – they mean that the ox used to transport the books sweated buckets while moving the books. The second two mean that they fill up the house."

Chiharu blinked as she reread the idiom. "Chinese… is weird…"

Sakura chuckled.

!

Her gaze snapped to the window. She slowly backed away from Chiharu's table and to the window. Dark clouds were swirling in the skies – they were not natural. The windows rattled from the strong winds.

"No…"

Her senses picked up the ominous aura instantly. How could she have not? It was ancient, just like Madoushi's was, and malevolent. The very aura of the sorcerer saturated the air they breathed in even though she knew that that person was bound to be far away.

Too far away, actually.

And not headed towards her.

In fact, he had never headed towards her at all…

Things snapped into place as she realized what was going on.

"No…"

"_**Shall I deliver more, then?"**_

Her green eyes glinted in fury as she shot out of the auditorium.

"I won't let you hurt him!" She hissed as she jumped out of the window and onto the streets.

**XxxX**

"Xiaolang?" Meiling asked, pausing in the midst of picking up another piping hot dumpling with her chopsticks. "Xiaolang? What's wrong?"

His chopsticks clattered to the table. The brown-haired teen slowly stood, facing unseeingly at the window to the restaurant.

"Xiaolang?" Meiling stood up as well. She touched his hand.

He flinched back immediately.

She flinched, "Xiaolang, what's wrong?"

He pulled his sunglasses off and clenched them in his hands.

"That **Man**… he's here."

**XxxX**

**To be Continued…**

**That took longer than expected…**

**Well, considering that I had exams and projects lined up one after another (my school really doesn't know how to plan schedules!), I'd say that 2 weeks is quite… short… I think… I apologise for the wait! (Bows 90 degrees)**

**This chapter is mostly fillers but I would say that it's a transitional chapter from the last arc to the current one… yeah… So I guess it's semi important too! And the cliff hanger at the end? I didn't really mean to leave it like that but I thought the suspense would be more thrilling.**

**If you have any tips on how to improve the suspense building, please do leave them in your reviews! Thank you for reading~**

**Wingless Dreams:)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Wow… I finally got it out. I won't stop you from reading on – **

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 11**

"_I… love him."_

"_Sakura… Yuki is… much older than you."_

"_That…"_

"_I've heard… from Yuki that the power of the moon makes… people interested in him. A force of attraction. So… perhaps this is just-"_

"_I love Yukito-san, and it's not because of Yue!"_

"_You don't know that!"_

"_I… I… Nii-san… Please…"_

"_The crush you have on him is just a crush. You'll get over it."_

_That's not it. I know this is true._

"_But I… Yuki is… my most important person."_

_Yukito-san is the one I love._

"_I don't want you to get your hopes up over him."_

_Don't… don't do this…_

"_And… Sakura… you do know that I love him too, right?"_

_Please… Don't make me choose between you and him._

"_I too want to be with him. You understand, right?"_

_Nii-san…_

_What about me?_

**XxxX**

He was standing on an open field. He could feel the wind whipping around him, messing up his brown hair and ruffling his uniform. His talisman was in his hand, wrapped securely around his wrist with the ornament clutched in his hand.

It was undeniable.

That man was here.

Shaoran shivered. His presence was so much more… powerful this time round. The first time he had come into contact with that man, he was still a child and of course was intimidated by the larger presence. This time, however… this time was different.

He was stronger. His powers had grown over the years of training despite what had been taken away from him. He had ingested Madoushi's magic as well. Powerful, ancient magic. A water affinity to his lightning and fire ones. He could handle him this time round.

Except that now, feeling that man's stifling aura consume the field, he wasn't so sure about that anymore.

"I see… the Li brat 10 years ago, hm?"

Shaoran snarled, gripping his talisman and releasing it to its sword form.

"Still as hopeless and pathetic as before, I suppose?"

With a howl, he charged forward. His hands whipped out a sheet of paper with bright red ink. He slammed his sword against the sheet, yelling, "Raitei Shorai!" The burst of lightning shot out, striking the man's position with startling accuracy.

Except that it didn't hit.

"Power but no wits? Or is it no eyes?"

"Shut up!" Shaoran roared, swinging his sword at the man. "I'll never forgive you! I'll never forgive you for killing my father!"

"You know, your father never did beg for mercy. I suppose you won't do the same?"

Shaoran froze as he felt fingers creeping up the back of his neck. He trembled as the magic seeped into him, freezing him to the core and drawing the cold moments of the time he dreaded the most. The moments he never wanted to relive ever again.

"Ke-keep… away… from me…" He said hoarsely, struggling to regain control over his body. It was so cold, so terrifying. The cold dread enveloped him from the inside.

"You know… that you were the cause of all this, right?"

"No… I'm not…" Shaoran protested. He wasn't responsible for his father's death. He wasn't…

"**You are."**

Hell, this man was a mind manipulator. Shaoran gritted his teeth and forced his will against the magic.

"I'm NOT!" Shaoran roared, turning and slashing at the man. He escaped nimbly but nevertheless he could hear the shredding of cloth. It must have gotten him then.

"I never would have expected… " There was a scoff. "To think that you could resist that. Even your father was trembling in his little shoes when I forced panic into his mind. Maybe it's because he wasn't as-"

"Shut. Up." Shaoran growled, calling upon a few ofuda. He had witnessed Sakura attempt this before, and the effect was overwhelming. He should be able to do it. Quickly, He slapped the seals in the air and yelled, "Suitei Shorai! Raitei Shorai!"

By right, the water should make the lightning strikes more lethal.

"Tch. A copy cat sorcerer?"

That was – he was –

"Pathetic. I doubt you even practiced that."

He gasped as he felt his control over the two elements slip. The water slipped away from his control, sending bursts of water spraying all over the area. He had barely raised his arms to shield himself from the water when he felt the stinging pain of the electrical strikes reach him.

"ARGH!" He dropped to his knees, sword and ofuda clattering onto the damp ground. The Li Clan heir tugged at his hair in pain, trying to swallow the screams of pain. The pain was so intense. He felt his hair stand on its ends. His body wasn't listening to him anymore. He had to get up. He needed to pick up his sword. His body wasn't listening to him. He needed to move, damn it!

"I knew it… you're just a kid in the end. This is goodbye then, little boy. May you never meet your father on the other side."

He heard the drawing of a sword. Raising his head defiantly at the man, he gritted his teeth and willed his body to move one final time.

"Time to die, Li Xiaolang."

His unseeing eyes closed as he met death with a snarl.

**XxxX**

_Eriol said that I wasn't strong enough. I knew better._

_Only through this way could I prove that I loved him not because of what he conceals, but because of him. His warm smile, his endless appetite, his caring hands…_

_He told me once that I was confusing my feelings for him for familial love._

_I didn't protest at that time. I thought that whatever he said must be the truth. After all, he was him._

_But I knew better._

_Separating his consciousness from Yue's, creating a new body for him, stabilizing the existing body for Yue, and ensuring that their continued existence for them both – they weren't easy. Even with my boosted reserves thanks to Eriol, it was still straining. If I had made a mistake at that time, I could have died._

_But it was something I was willing to risk._

_I did it as soon as I could. Right after I finalized the procedure, I called him over to conduct the ritual._

_It was hard._

_For five whole hours, I strained to fork out every last bit of my magic to complete the ritual._

_I succeeded._

_Him and Yue were now two separate entities. He had no magical powers, for I couldn't hand him a substantial amount of my magic at that time in order for him to possess magic. But he was whole – a living, breathing, existing human. And I was overjoyed when I realized that despite him and Yue's separation, I still loved him._

_I confessed to him right after he recovered._

_I never got a reply._

_Soon afterwards, the Void Card struck._

_Eriol had left after the ritual to finalise some business in England. It was too late by the time he realized what was happening. He wouldn't make it back in time to stop the card._

_But I was the only one who could stop the card. After all, I was the Cardmistress. The Void card was part of the deck, and I needed to seal and convert it. It was the most powerful card. It also required the most amount of magic to seal. It also required a sacrifice._

_I knew what was required to seal it. It was an instinct, but I knew that it was what I needed._

_And naturally, I didn't want to let go of it all. Even though he never reciprocated, we still had a bond in between us. It was the most important bond I ever had. It was greater than that of Tomoyo's or Touya's. I wanted to delay the inevitable, yet the more I delayed, the more I saw disappear right in front of my eyes. Everyone I held dear disappeared under the influence of the Void. For every person that ceased to exist, for every object that I grew up to live with disappear, the more the burden of their existence weighted down on me. The more I delayed, the more guilt I felt. _

_For the one-sided feelings, I allowed them to disappear just like that._

_Eventually, even Kero and Yue left._

_It was only he and I left._

_Void… a cruel, negative card. _

_Because it was my duty, I had to do it. Once I sealed her away, everything would return to normal. _

_He had yelled and screamed at me for letting this all happen. He was devastated by the disappearance of Touya, who had vanished before his eyes. Did he think about me? Did he know what was required of me to do as he demanded for?_

_Perhaps._

_But it was inevitable._

_It was with a tear streaked face that I sealed her away. On that day, I had forsaken my feelings for my duty as a sorceress. For my duty as a Cardmistress. The thing that had given me so much joy, the power that gave me him to love, the journey that allowed me to meet so many different things, the destiny that bonded me and Tomoyo together close than ever, brought Yukito into existence and allowed me to meet Eriol – it turned out to be the identity that gave me the worst imaginable pain._

"_Do I… know you?"_

_Even though his memories of me were erased as the price for sealing Void away, I still loved Void like every other card. I understood the pain of being left behind. Just like whenever we three went out, I would always be the one left trailing behind them both. Even though I was similar to Touya, he never looked at me the same way. In that same way, the Void was… the one left behind. That's why I could never bring myself to hate her for what she had taken from me._

_It just solidified the fact that he and I could never be together._

_It just further proved that no matter what, Touya would always be the first. I would just be the left out. The second choice._

_I should be thanking her for the wake-up call._

**XxxX**

SHING!

SPLAT!

The sound of metal cutting flesh met her ears. Blood splattered onto the soaked ground in big, fat crimson droplets. She grimaced, holding out her staff shakily. The staff had redirected the sword elsewhere, but it had still caused damage.

But he was safe. Thank gods.

"I… knew it was you. This presence… it's unmistakable," Sakura hissed. She bit her lip in an effort to shut away the whine of pain escaping her throat.

The man smiled. He pushed back a few stray locks of black hair that had escaped his ponytail in the fight. "The Cardmistress… how nice to see you again. And I see you have fulfilled my remuneration. Thank you."

_Remuneration?_

Sakura winced as she shifted her weight. His sword was still buried in her leg, going right through the flesh and protruding out the other end. The wound was bleeding sluggishly, staining the ground crimson. She gasped as he wrenched the sword out of her leg, sending a torrent of blood splashing onto the ground. Sakura held her ground sluggishly, leaning heavily on her staff to keep her upright.

Kaoru looked at her with narrowed eyes. Sakura raised her head to glare at him, only to be lost in the brown eyes.

'_The same shade as…'_

"So, how is the blue-headed boy?" Kaoru licked his lips, lifting his sword up and examining the blood stained blade.

Sakura stiffened. "What… does it mean to you?"

"Hmph. Would you have rather I go after the other girl? The long haired one with the voice?" Kaoru smirked."But wait… I already did."

Sakura straightened up slowly, mindful to avoid putting any weight on her wounded leg. "You are… a master at mind manipulation. Compulsion, illusions, hypnotizing… That's why you were able to catch Eriol-kun off guard. But that won't happen a second time. I won't let you hurt Li-kun." She lifted her staff and with a quick whisper of the card: "Sword!" the staff transformed into a long sword.

"Maybe I won't hurt the little boy…" Kaoru stepped back, the smirk still on his face. "But I'm not too sure about you."

"Wha-" She had barely processed the sound of metal cutting through air when she ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding a sword to her neck. She collapsed on her bad leg, crying out in pain as the wound bled out more blood. She looked up, shocked to see Shaoran standing over her, sword in hand and directing it towards her.

Kaoru smiled, eyes crinkling. His dark yukata rustled as he strode over to Shaoran, wrapping an arm around the boy tenderly and kissing his temple. He grinned at the terrified Sakura, "You see… Once they let their defenses down, it's just too easy to get into their heads. Did you know that this little boy was holding a grudge against you? Maybe you have to think twice next time before hiding something so big from the ones close to you. You see, this boy has a lot of uncontrolled rage… and I'm just helping him let it all out."

Without warning, Shaoran stomped down hard on Sakura's leg. She screamed in pain.

"_Mistress!"_

"_Sakura!"_

'_Stay put!' _Sakura warned sharply in her mind, blocking out her Guardian's pleads to come out.

"Li-kun…" Sakura gritted her teeth, panting slightly. She tightened her grip on her sword.

Kaoru kissed Shaoran once more and stepped back. "Well then, I suppose I will let him finish you off… and then I'll continue by destroying him as well as your precious Clow Cards!"

'_I can't let him do that!'_

Shaoran swung his sword up and brought it back down in a graceful arc.

"Shield!" Sakura yelled, flipping a card in front of her. The spherical bubble appeared between Shaoran and her. His sword clashed with the barrier, sending him stumbling backwards. He steadied himself sluggishly, moving back to her step by step.

'_He's resisting! If not, his movements would be much sharper than this!'_

Sakura grimaced as she attempted to move her leg. It wouldn't do. The injury was far worse than she had expected.

'_I have to stop him! But I can't hurt him either!'_

"Raitei… Shorai!" Shaoran drew the ofuda, slapping his sword against it and releasing a burst of electricity towards her. Sakura quickly drew a card in defense.

"Wood!" She commanded. The card glowed and the roots of trees sprouted from the ground and wound themselves around in a protective dome just in time to block his lightning strikes.

'_Am I safe?'_

Apparently not.

Shaoran had taken to hacking at the roots, chipping off chunks of wood from the shield each time his sword struck the shield.

SNAP!

SNAP!

'_I need to end this now… Wood isn't going to last for long!'_

SNAP!

Sakura closed her eyes, searching for a method. He was getting closer to her every moment. If only she could render him…

**SNAP!**

Shaoran's sword broke through the last layer of defense. Sakura's eyes widened as he appeared at the opening, sword raised to stab her. His dark silhouette towered over her, gleaming sword promising a swift end.

BADUMP.

He was going to kill her.

BADUMP. BADUMP. BADUMP

'_I… __**No**__!'_

BADUMP-BADUMP-BADUMP-BADUMP-BADUMP-BADUMP

"**Sleep!**"Sakura yelled. The card wasn't even out of her pocket yet, but it worked, thankfully. Shaoran stumbled back a few steps before unconsciousness overtook him and he collapsed onto the muddy ground. Sakura let out a breath she realized she had been holding, hands folded over her chest in an effort to clam the rapidly beating heart.

She slipped out of the little barrier Wood has erected, wincing as she moved her leg.

"Li… kun…" Sakura approached him shakily. "Li-kun… are you… alrigh-"

The world seemed to spin around her. The ground seemed to be rising up to meet her face.

A flash.

She registered a pair of arms wrapping around her as well as the whiteness of Yue's wings.

Someone had come to their rescue.

Thank… goodness…

Her eyes closed as she welcomed the darkness.

**XxxX**

"You sure have the nerve… Showing your face like that to us…" Mizuki Kaho said coldly, holding her bell in her hands. Sakura was cradled in her arms. She handed her over to Yue, who cradled her in his arms and backed away from the two quickly.

Kaoru raised his eyebrows. "And who might you be, woman?"

"That is of no concern to you," Mizuki raised her bell and pointed it to Kaoru. "Leave. Now."

Kaoru snorted. "As if you could command me around. But… ah…" His eyes darted to the unconscious teens. "Well, I had my fun. And I collected my remuneration as well. There's nothing left for me to do… **here**."

"Leave!" Mizuki barked, striking the bell once. The ringing sound of the bell echoed in the open field.

Kaoru winced, clutching his head. She glared at him, raising the bell again. He sneered, stepping backwards and letting the shadows rise up to claim him.

"That girl will be bound for despair. I suggest you put her out of her misery soon," Kaoru sneered as the shadows crept up his face, swallowing him up whole and leaving no trace that he was ever there.

Yue hugged her close, lowering her to the ground gently and calling, "Kaho!"

The moment Kaoru had disappeared from sight, Mizuki hurried over to Sakura, dropping to her knees and examining her wounded leg. She quickly tore up the hem of her skirt and wrapped it around her wound in a make-shift bandage.

"Sakura-"

"We need to get her to a hospital!" Mizuki interrupted hurriedly. "You have to go back, Yue."

"I'm not leaving Sakura!"

"You can't walk into a hospital like that-"

"Kaho!"

"Actually…"

Mizuki and Yue both turned around abruptly.

Yimin had her talisman out. She scanned the situation gravely before saying to them both, "Come with me. Take them to the infirmary. I'll provide the medical care."

Mizuki narrowed her eyes. "And why should we trust you-"

"Kaho," Yue interrupted. Mizuki turned to him. Yue shook his head. "She's an ally. To Sakura, at the very least."

"No time for discussion," Yimin lifted Shaoran up. "We need to get her treated now. Come!"

Yue nodded, unfolding his wings. He pulled Mizuki close, letting her hug him tight as his wings flapped and they took off into the sky, followed shortly by Yimin and Shaoran travelling on top of the roofs.

**XxxX**

_I wonder when I would be able to muster the strength to say what I really feel to the ones that I treasure the most._

_Pretending that it didn't hurt, pretending that I was still strong, pretending that everything was alright… unknowingly, I became a liar._

_I thought that she could see past this mask I had put up, but she had grown to dislike what I am so much that she barely glanced at me anymore. I couldn't blame her for it. After all, if you saw your most important person dropping into a coma…_

_Even I would hate it._

_But… Before I knew it, I was alone._

_I can't keep pretending. I can feel the mask slipping. I had cut myself off from them so that they wouldn't see. So that they could avoid seeing this disgusting, lying me. But that just made the mask slip faster. _

_How long have I fantasized… to turn back time and redo everything? To prevent things from becoming the way it had?_

_I was losing grip on what was important to me. On my important people. I felt as though I was living a hollowed life. Even with the Cards, they didn't help fill the Void that was in my heart._

_It grew too hard to bear._

_But then… someone else appeared._

_Someone I thought I could call my important person._

…_If only… he didn't hate me…_

**XxxX**

Her eyes opened to a pristine white ceiling.

"Li… kun…" She mumbled incoherently, propping herself up on her elbows.

She was in the infirmary.

Her leg stung badly. She winced as a bolt of pain shot up her leg.

It wasn't a dream.

Yimin came into her view. Sakura sat up straight, ignoring the stabbing pain in her leg and gripping Yimin's arm tightly, demanding, "Where's Li-kun?"

Yimin brushed her hand off, flipping the blanket up to reveal her leg. She said as she worked on untying the bandages, "He's fine. A little shock to his nerves but that was all. Wei is working to purify him right now at their residence." She undid the last of the bandages and revealed a bloodied leg. The sword had gone straight through, leaving a horrible hole in its wake. Kaoru's merciless handling had also damaged the surrounding flesh. Yimin grimaced, cleaning the wound swiftly.

Sakura bit back a moan of pain and asked in a strained voice, "What happened after I passed out?"

The nurse pulled an ofuda out from her pocket, lifting it to chest level and holding it with her index and middle finger. She closed her eyes. Magic was focusing on the ofuda. Sakura watched in fascination as Yimin raised her other hand and placed it over her wound. Her hand was lit with a greenish glow and she could feel the flesh being knitted back together.

Yimin dropped the ofuda after a while. The slip of paper floated to the floor and sizzled out, burning into a crisp. Her wound was only half healed though she could see that it was already much better. The pain eased slightly.

"Your teacher, Mizuki Kaho came," Yimin answered, taking up fresh bandages and wrapping it around her leg. "She managed to threaten the man enough for him to slip away. Then, she and the Moon Guardian brought you over here to be treated."

"I see…" Sakura watched as her leg was wrapped up in the white gauze.

"You're lucky… The Young Master is adept at killing. It's a requirement," Yimin secured the ends of the bandage. She wiped her bloodied hand with a towel and cleaned up the area. "Had he not been resisting the manipulation, you could have died."

Sakura grimaced and nodded.

"Where is Yue and Mizuki?" Sakura asked, looking around the room.

Yimin pointed to the ceiling. "They're having a little chat up there."

**XxxX**

"You're quite a defiant Guardian, Yue. I didn't think that you were that type," Mizuki commented, leaning against the metal railings. "Even though Sakura ordered you to stay sealed, you still defied her orders and released yourself."

"…Hn…" Yue folded his arms. His wings disappeared, allowing him to lean against the railing as he sat down. The sky was already growing dark, though it wouldn't do if someone spotted a pair of angel wings on the roof. Sakura was stressed enough with everything going on. The last thing she needed was more things to clean up.

Mizuki looked down at the guardian. The ends of his white robes were stained red with the blood of his mistress. She couldn't imagine the amount of stress _he_ was undergoing at the moment.

"Nevertheless, I'm glad that you heeded the nurse's advice and came up here with me. It must pain you to see Sakura like that."

"It's nothing," Yue murmured.

"Really?" She slid down and sat down on the cement floor beside Yue. "Then I suppose reliving the tough moments isn't too much to ask from you."

Yue glanced at her with his silver-grey eyes. "What do you want?"

"I was absent from Tomoeda for the past few years. I want you to fill me in."

Yue sighed. "The incident?"

Mizuki nodded.

**XxxX**

"_E-Ehh? Nii-san is a TA?" _

"_That's right, Kaijuu."_

"_Sakura is not a kaijuu!" She stomped down half heartedly on his foot, which he expertly avoided._

"_Ma, ma, Touya, Sakura, calm down," their father, Fujitaka, chided as he set down the dishes for dinner._

"_Hai…" They responded._

"_Well then, what subject are you teaching then?" Fujitaka asked as they sat down at the table._

"_Folklore," Touya replied. He clapped his hands together and said, "Itadakimasu."_

"_Itadakimasu."_

"_Folklore? Like the stuff on Ame-warashi and Zashiki-warashi?" Sakura asked, scooping up some yakitori._

"_Yeah, like those," Touya snatched a piece of yakitori from Sakura's plate, stuffing it into his mouth before she could snatch it back. Sakura pouted in annoyance, taking more from the plate._

"_That's an interesting topic though. Weren't you always interested in becoming a doctor though?" Fujitaka scooped some vegetables for himself. _

_Touya shrugged. "Folklore just interested me more…" _

"_I see…"_

_Back then when there was still a semblance of normality… when Sakura could be around family and still hold onto her personality – the kind, carefree girl she once was…_

_It all changed rapidly._

_0 – 0- 0 - 0-_

_Sakura knelt in front of the grave._

"_Sakura-chan…" Chiharu knelt down beside her and squeezed her gently on the shoulder. "We should go home. It's getting dark."_

_Sakura nodded wearily. "Just… just give me five more minutes alone. Please, Chiharu-chan."_

_Chiharu sighed and stood up, gesturing for the small group of friends to leave. One by one, they all departed, leaving Sakura alone with the grave. Sakura sighed and leant her head against the cold grave stone. She sat that way for a few moments before a sob rattled her body._

"_Rika-chan… Why…" Sakura clutched a ring in her hands, holding it close to her chest. "Why… Weren't we friends? Why was there something that you couldn't tell me? Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"_

_She sobbed for a long, long time for her friend._

_0 0 -0 - 0 -0 -_

_Things happened one after another. Right after Rika's death came her father's._

_But Fujitaka wasn't meant to die. Eriol was._

_It was raining that day._

"_I'll see you tomorrow then," Sakura said to Tomoyo and Eriol, packing up her bag hurriedly. "I'm going off with Yue and Kero to do some training."_

"_Sakura, are you sure you don't want me-" Eriol began to offer._

_Sakura exchanged a quick glance with Tomoyo and shook her head, smiling, "It's alright. Kero may not seem like it but he's a harsh teacher. Besides, if there's really something I need help with, I'll come straight to you for help."_

_Tomoyo shot her a grateful smile which Sakura returned._

_Eriol sighed and laced his fingers with Tomoyo's. "If you insist," He reluctantly gave in. A quick glance at the window showed that it was raining heavily outside. He dug into his bag and offered Sakura his umbrella, which she took in surprise._

"_This…" She glanced at the window._

"_You lent yours to your brother, didn't you?" Eriol grinned. "I can share with Tomoyo. Don't worry about it. Do take care of yourself, Sakura."_

_Sakura grinned back at him. "Thanks, Eriol-kun! I'll be going now!"_

_She picked up her bag and skipped out of the classroom, sparing one last forlorn glance at her two closest friends before turning away and dashing down the hallway._

_Tomoyo leant in close to Eriol, running a hand through his neatly combed blue hair. She suggested, "Why not we go to Penguin Park? We can hide out in the slide and watch the rain."_

_Eriol laughed and ruffled her hair. "Sure. Why not?"_

_Why not indeed._

_Had he not blocked out his divinatory dreams in an attempt to live a normal life with Tomoyo, he would have perhaps foreseen his death that day. Then perhaps he could have been better prepared. And then perhaps no one would have had to die._

_Tomoyo unknowingly became an 'unlucky goddess'._

_And her best friend knew it._

_When Sakura had finally sensed the malicious aura descending on her two closest friends in Penguin Park, it was already too late. She had rushed there on wings, aided by her two Guardians who tore through the park to find the culprit. Yet, the damage had already been done and the culprit long hidden away in the shadows. On the wet, soaking sandpit of Penguin Park, Hiiragizawa Eriol laid bleeding and unmoving with a traumatized Tomoyo screaming her head off. It took a fair amount of magic to keep the outsiders away while Yue and Keroberos transported Eriol to somewhere safe for treatment._

_And it turned out that Clow's neglect to produce a Heal Card had come off for the worst. With no means to heal the reincarnation of Clow, Sakura could only watch on helplessly as Nakuru did her best to stem the bleeding – three long gashes to his chest, from shoulder to hip. He grew deathly pale after the first hour, and by the next he was barely breathing, heart pumping weakly._

_Tomoyo was crying hysterically, hyperventilating. _

_Sakura couldn't bear to put her best friend to sleep lest she missed Eriol's last moments._

_It was then that they all came to a fact – unless a miracle happened, Eriol was going to die._

_And a miracle did happen, if it could even be considered a miracle._

_Exactly 2 hours and 18 minutes after he was brought in, Kinomoto Fujitaka walked into the house. He greeted the crowd with a solemn gaze, not at all stunned by the released forms of Kero and Yue. He simply walked over to Eriol's bedside and sat down, taking the younger boy's hands into his own and kissing them as if he was blessing him._

_Sakura immediately came in between them, snatching her father's hand away. She looked at her father in horror, hands trembling._

"_What… were you planning to do?" Sakura whispered._

_Fujitaka gazed down at the boy. "I was going to save him."_

"_With you own life?" She hissed, kneeling down in front of her father._

_He took Sakura's face into his hands, looking at her bright green eyes already brimming with tears. He sighed, pressing his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and let the tears drip._

"_I know what I am," Fujitaka murmured, eyes closed. "And I know who you are as well. I know that Eriol-kun… no, my other half… is lying right beside me dying right now. I can save him. I know I can, if you'd just let me."_

_Sakura shook her head, sobbing._

"_Sakura, listen," He pulled away, brushing her cheek with his thumb until she opened her eyes to look at him. "I know what I've been doing. Right now, it's as if I've just awoken from a long, deep slumber. But it doesn't change the fact that I have done something unredeemable. Right now, I can save his life. Eriol-kun is important to you, and he can guide you in ways I never will. So please, let me do this – for you, me and him."_

"_I don't… I don't want you to die…" Sakura cried, tackling her father and giving him a tight hug. "Ka-san is already gone… I don't want you to leave us too! Tou-san… There must be some other way… You can't die!"_

"_My dear child…" He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "I have longed for the day when I would finally se your mother again. Nadeshiko… must be up there waiting for me." Sakura stopped crying, suddenly becoming too still and too quiet._

"_Is that… what you always wished for?" Sakura whispered, burying her head into her father's shirt._

_Fujitaka rubbed the back of her head soothingly. He nodded silently._

_Shaking, Sakura pulled away. She kept her head dipped as she stepped away from her father, taking slow steps with trembling legs until she finally backed against a wall. She looked up with red rimmed eyes at her father and mouthed, "I love you."_

_Her father smiled at her. He smiled a serene, accepting smile. He turned back to Eriol, taking his hands once more. He got up and sat on the beside the boy, lifting the boy up so that he was sitting facing Fujitaka. The man took a deep breath, hugging the boy and resting his head against Eriol's neck. Clow's circle lit up beneath them and the air around them swirled._

"_Nii-san… couldn't say goodbye…" Sakura mumbled, leaning heavily against the wall._

_She could feel her father's magic seeping into Eriol, memories and sorcery alike merging into the blue headed boy's body _

"_I… still have things I need to say to you… What you did… I still…"_

_Her father's aura grew dimmer until it was barely more than a pulse, weak and not enough to support a grown man. Eriol, on the other hand was slowly gaining back his colour. _

"_Tou-san… in reality I really… didn't…"_

_The gashes on his chest healed, leaving three long white scars on his already pale body in its wake. Fujitaka's eyes fluttered open._

"_Nadeshiko… I… lo…" He swayed from his position and collapsed on top of Eriol._

"TOU-SAN!_"_

_His last words were never really heard. _

_He never heard his daughter's last words to him either._

_In the end, Kinomoto Fujitaka died in the hospital four days after sinking into a deep coma. The doctors ruled it out as exhaustion from overwork, but his children knew better. Their father had already exhausted his heart out the past 13 years after his wife's death. He had just escaped the world with a more glorious means of death – exhausting his body and soul in an attempt to save the boy whom he had barely spoken 10 sentences with. A boy that was his other half – a fact that he had not known until an hour before his death._

_It was beyond doubt. Fujitaka had been seeking for a means to end his life and pass on._

_He didn't even bother concealing that desire from his children._

_With his death, Touya and Sakura were now left orphans. Touya, already with a steady job in the university, took guardianship over Sakura. They sold their house and moved into a three-roomed apartment with Yukito within a month of his funeral._

_Everything changed from that day onwards._

**XxxX**

Sakura laid on her side, stroking her key. She had already taken her sleep medicine, yet the darkness was still taking its time to reach her, dragging its feet in the sand like a sloth. Her eyes fluttered closed, willing herself to fall asleep even though she knew it wouldn't come.

That afternoon had been a close call. Had Mizuki-sensei not arrive in time, she could have already been dead. She shuddered, gripping her leg as she felt the phantom of a blade slicing through her leg. The feeling had stuck like a plague, not leaving her mind despite how much she tried to block it out. She winced again as the image of Shaoran wielding his sword flashed through her mind.

Kaoru… the man that had nearly killed Eriol. The man that had harmed Shaoran as a child and murdered his father. The man that was bound to be behind the changes in the people around her. The man that had probably caused Rika's death on top of everything else he had already done…

"_Kinomoto!"_

Sakura sat up abruptly, looking around for the source of the voice. Yimin had long left, leaving her alone in the infirmary to rest. There wasn't supposed to be anyone in school at two in the morning. No one would dare sneak into school in the middle of the night except –

"Li… kun?" Sakura pushed back the covers and gingerly stood up. She winced as she limped over to the door. The wound was still throbbing painfully. She leant against the door, listening and waiting for some sort of reply.

The person on the other side of the door knocked. _"Kinomoto! It's me!"_

"Li-kun…" Sakura undid the latch and opened the door. Shaoran stood at the door, leaning against the door frame uncertainly. She stepped back.

"…It's… been a while," He mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"…Not quite… considering that we met just this afternoon," Sakura replied, hobbling back to her bed. The pain was really getting to her. She should have just called on a card to open the door for him. Why hadn't she?

"Oh. That…"

"Ah…"

Shaoran shuffled in, closing the door behind him and locking it.

"So… why are you here tonight?" Sakura asked, sitting on the bed and lifting her injured leg up.

"This afternoon…" He moved to the bed beside hers, sitting down. "I suppose… an apology is in order."

"For what?"

"For… everything." Shaoran sighed. He slouched forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he cradled his head in his hands. "I said some… really horrible things to you the other day. It was unbecoming of me. And this afternoon… falling for that man's trap and trying to kill you – that's just-"

"It's not your fault." Sakura cut in smoothly.

"But…"

"The other day… I said some horrible things as well," Sakura shifted on the bed so that she was facing him. "I shouldn't have put you in that kind of position. Even though I meant what I said that was still… not very kind… I…"

"Sorry…" Shaoran mumbled.

"Ah ha ha…"

"And this afternoon-"

"That's not your fault," Sakura smiled bitterly. "Kaoru is a powerful sorcerer. His ability at mind manipulation far surpasses anyone to date. No one will fault you for not being able to stand against his attacks. Even… even Eriol-kun… couldn't… fight him off…" Her voice became distant as she stared past his shoulder into a past she couldn't forget. "So… It's not your fault, Li-kun."

Shaoran sighed, tugging at his brown locks. "It's just that… Even though I'm the Clan Heir, I'm still not there yet. My father succeeded the position at my age, yet I'm still far from it. My blindness is not an excuse. I still lack… something…" He growled and messed up his hair. "This afternoon as well. I lost my cool when I realized that man was the one who killed my father and took my eyes. My rage blinded me. I could only think about gaining revenge, about ripping that man apart and making him sorry for what he did and… that's… not what a Clan Head should have done…" He curled in tighter on himself.

"Everything… I got tired of everything. Tired… of my position… of my destiny… I…"

Sakura touched his shoulder hesitantly. He loosened momentarily, looking up at her. She silently got off the bed and embraced him, hugging him close to her. She stroked his hair and whispered into his ear, "It's alright. You can let your guard down in front of me, Li-kun."

He leant into the embrace. It was only after a while that he started sobbing.

"That's right… let it all out," Sakura rocked him back and forth soothingly.

Shaoran clutched at her shirt, sobbing into her shoulder.

"This… I…"

"Shh… It's alright," Sakura murmured, brushing her lips against his temple.

"Kino… moto…"

They fell asleep in each other's arms that night.

**XxxX**

**To be Continued…**

**Wow, Sakura seems to be sleeping with a lot of people lately. Whoops, did that sound wrong?**

**I'm sorry if I didn't reply to your reviews. I've been really busy lately. Competitions are coming up and I'm aiming for school team and I'm contesting two other really good friends for that one position left in the team and - simply put, I'm stressed about it because I want it really bad and so does my partner (who would otherwise claim that position had she not injured herself and passed her hopes onto me). Did I bore you with that rant? Sorry… I needed to let it out somewhere…**

**I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out because the next term will be one hell of a hectic term. I swear my school has an idiot behind the time table committee… (mutters curses) **

**That aside, I really want to know how I did for this chapter. I thought I tried something different and I'm not sure how that turned out. Please do leave a review if you can and I'll see you next time I post a new chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the wait! (bows 90 degrees)**

**Slightly light hearted in the beginning and then it starts to go downwards from there. I won't spoil you any further – Go! Enjoy this chapter!**

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 12**

_Not a day passes where I don't remember that horrible event._

_It's like a scorching wound made by a white-hot brand… and it's not going away._

_Every time I see him, his lifeless form, his pale face, I think of what made him this way._

_My most important person…_

_If only it didn't exist, he would still be here. _

_If only… If only…_

**XxxX**

"-kura… Oi, wake up!" A pillow contacted the side of her head.

Sakura opened her eyes blearily, groaning as she stretched out on the hard cot. She briefly noted the warm body beside her.

"Finally wake, huh? Looks like you had a good night."

Sakura blinked. She turned to the person sleeping beside her.

"**H-HOOEEEEE?"**

**XxxX**

Naoko and Chiharu both walked out of the dorm hand in hand. It was still early – they had half an hour before they were supposed to report to their classrooms for the exchange program. Right now, they focused on taking in the cool morning air and bustling roads.

"Sakura-chan… she didn't return to the dorm yesterday, did she?" Naoko asked.

Chiharu sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "Either that or she came back after curfew. I waited all night outside her door."

Naoko frowned and shuffled her feet.

"So… Are we still going to pressure her into answering our questions?"

Chiharu stopped in her tracks and turned to Naoko. Naoko too paused and turned to face her childhood friend. Chiharu bit her lip and said, "All this time… Sakura-chan has held in everything on her own. Even though we're her friends, there's really… a bridge between us that we will never cross. You feel that, don't you? There's something she can't tell us and whatever that is, it's really taken over her life."

"But… what could possibly be so big that… Even Tomoyo-chan…" Realisation flashed through her eyes. "Tomoyo – she knew, didn't she?"

"It would seem so." Chiharu clenched her fists. "And whatever it was, it drove Tomoyo to the way things are. So…" She looked down at her feet. "Would it be an entirely bad thing if Sakura shut us out? Because she doesn't want things to end the way it did with Tomoyo-chan and –"

"I get it. Some things are better left unsaid," Naoko nodded. They began walking again in a slow pace.

"But is it really okay to leave things the way they are? I mean… Sometimes I felt as though Tomoyo was the one real person that really understood Sakura-chan. I mean, Eriol-kun is also really close but his presence was different. He's like… an older brother to Sakura-chan," Chiharu smiled slightly. "Tomoyo-chan was… the bosom friend."

Naoko nodded. "But whatever happened between them is between them. It's something that even we won't understand. We can't fix bridges that we can't see or touch."

Chiharu blinked and chuckled, lacing her fingers with Naoko's and swinging their hands together like children – like when they were little. Naoko shot her a confused look. Chiharu shook her head and giggled, "We've been using a lot of bridge analogies lately. It just… got really funny."

Naoko pouted and shot her a severe look, only to break out in giggles along with her friend.

**XxxX**

Sakura sat on the bed, one leg folded in while the other was stretched out to allow Yimin to rebandage the limb. Shaoran sat on the bed beside her, cross legged and resting his head on his arms propped on his knees.

Sakura glanced up at him. Licking her lips, she asked hesitantly, "Li-kun?"

"Hn?" Shaoran grunted.

"What… are you doing here, in the infirmary?"

"… Ah…"

"…" Sakura pouted, hugging her pillow. "I guess it's still too early in the morning?"

"Hn…" He groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "Not… really…"

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "You were dead out of it the last time… well, considering that it was a good 3 hours earlier than now but…"

"It's not that. I'm exhausted in the morning because my body needs time to adjust after recuperating. It's like my magic doesn't catch up to my body fast enough. I feel lethargic whenever I wake up until I recover," Shaoran yawned. "Don't worry. It'll wear off after a while. Ever since my powers grew, I recover much faster than I used to. I'll be fine."

"But… I don't feel that whenever I get up," Sakura said.

Shaoran shrugged. "Most people don't. I don't know why but it happens for me."

"I see…"

Yimin tightened the bandages, causing Sakura to wince and glare at the woman. The woman shot her a glare back, slapping the leg lightly. Yimin scowled and said, "You aggravated the wound. What did you do last night?"

"Eh… eh I…" Sakura looked down. Her Key glowed and the words shot out of her mouth before she knew it: "I walked over to the door to let Li-kun in last night. I didn't mean to make the wound worse, I swear!"

"Hurray for the Libra," Yimin rolled her eyes.

Shaoran shot out of bed. "You what?"

Sakura waved him off with her hands, taking the cup of pills Yimin pushed into her hands. "You were outside and the door was locked. If I didn't let you in you would have stayed outside all night, ne? It's nothing, really."

Shaoran growled, slipping off the bed and going to hers. "Of course it is! You were in pain and it was because of me-"

"I already have a hole in my leg. That was nothing," Sakura protested.

"But-"

"Will you stop with the Lover's spat?" Yimin called from her desk.

Sakura and Shaoran both flushed.

"Yimin-san… that was… inappropriate!" Sakura exclaimed, covering her blushing face with her hands.

"Come on, you were arguing like an old married couple," Yimin drawled. She pointed at Sakura's Key. "The Libra. Vow of honesty and truth."

Sakura blushed, face glowing redder.

"Yimin, that was…" Shaoran turned away. "Unnecessary."

"Look, you're even using the same sentence structure," She scoffed, folding her arms. "If I didn't know better, I would say you two are really alike… like a matching couple."

"Could you stop referring to us as a couple!" Sakura yelped, jumping up and jarring her leg in the process. She grimaced and clutched the leg.

Yimin tittered.

"Oi, Young Master, take care of your wife," Yimin teased as she got up. She took her coat from the back of her chair. "She's going to need some more healing seals and I ran out of rice paper." She glanced at her watch. "Classes are going to start soon but I suppose I can write you a slip to get you the day off… I'll be back in two to three hours. Don't do anything frisky, okay?"

"Yimin-san!" "Yimin!" They protested in unison.

Yimin stuck a tongue out at them and slipped out of the room.

Sakura buried her head in her pillow, moaning, "I feel so embarrassed."

Shaoran turned away.

"So… Li-kun, why are you in the infirmary? I mean, why did you pop in the middle of the night?"

Shaoran flopped back onto the bed.

"Li-kun!" Sakura scowled, nudging him with her feet. "This is my bed! And I know you're awake!"

"So noisy…" Shaoran rolled over to give her more room. He covered his eyes with his arms. "I wanted to see you, alright? I heard from Wei that you were injured… And I nearly tried to kill you. I was… ashamed of that and I came to apologise. Speaking of…" He sat up, moving into a kneeling position and bowing straight down until his forehead was barely above the ground. "I, Li Xiaolang, sincerely apologise for the misdeed I have done. Please feel free to settle this debt in any way you see fit."

"L-Li-kun!" Sakura backed away in shock.

"It was a terrible mistake! As the heir to the Li Clan I cannot-"

"Li-kun," Sakura touched his shoulder, cutting him off. Shaoran slowly raised his head, looking up to face her. Sakura sighed, "It's not befitting of the Li Clan Heir to bow his head to anyone. Raise yourself up."

Shaoran shook his head, bowing it again. "I already owe you a debt from Hong Kong-"

"Which was repaid with the hospitality I received as well as the sharing of magic with your mother-"

"This transgression is-"

"It wasn't your fault," Sakura cut in softly.

Shaoran looked up at this.

"Why… do you sound so… defeated?"

Sakura leaned back into the bed frame, hugging the pillow to her chest. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, saying, "Kaoru-san has… not attacked the people around me for the first time. A few years back, in Junior High… He came to my town and nearly killed my mentor."

"Your mentor? You had a teacher?" He looked surprised.

Sakura chuckled. "I did. Was it that surprising?"

"Well… there aren't many sorcerers left in Japan. Most of them are in China nowadays."

"Eriol-kun was of Japanese descent, but was raised in England," Sakura smiled softly at that. She hugged the pillow tighter. "He came to Tomoeda… after I became the Cardmistress and he had been helping me with the Cards and everything. He is my mentor, in a sense. He was very strong and wise…"

"But this Kaoru…"

Sakura shrugged, closing her eyes. "He snuck up on Eriol-kun… I don't know how he did it, but he did. Eriol-kun nearly died that night, if not for… if not for… my father saving him."

Shaoran stiffened.

"I… see… I'm sorry to hear that," He bowed his head apologetically.

"It's alright… it was bound to come out sooner or later," Sakura shrugged. "That was… for the best."

"Your father was a sorcerer then?"

"No, he didn't know he even had magic until the hour," She chuckled at the irony. "Otou-san was the half-reincarnation of Clow Reed. Eriol-kun was the other. Otou-san was able to transfer his life force to Eriol-kun because of that, though he died shortly after for exhausting his core. Otherwise, he was an ordinary Professor in archaeology."

"Archaeology?" Shaoran perked up. He leant forward. "He taught the subject?"

"Yes, he did. He did it quite well too. And he also did many excavations…" She didn't mistake his eager look. "Are you interested in archaeology? I think we still have some of Otou-san's old books and tapes stored in the house…" Her voice grew distant.

Shaoran snapped back to reality in an instant. "It's alright. You don't have to dig them out or lend them to me. They're your father's old things, after all."

Sakura shook her head. "If I don't give them away… it would seem like I'm not letting go. Besides, they would be put to much better use in your hands than just sitting in boxes. The only problem is Nii-san – whether he would even let me give them away."

"Right, like books would be any use to me," Shaoran joked.

Sakura sat up at abruptly. She looked at his eyes before moving to her bandaged leg.

"About that… actually… I realized something."

**XxxX**

Naoko glanced around the room. The students were either in a really bad mood today or they just weren't welcomed.

She took a hunch and guessed it was the latter.

One of the girls was arguing with the teacher. Naoko grimaced at the sight. It was one thing to treat guests foully. It was another to openly disrespect the teacher in front of guests. Seems like Ming Dao wasn't the great, spectacular school they thought it would be.

Was that a hot pink corset she saw the girl wearing?

"What's up with this class?" Chiharu whispered from the seat in front of hers.

Naoko shrugged. "I guess we aren't welcomed."

Chiharu looked at her desk mate, who was sleeping on the desk and showing a head of silver-dyed hair. She scowled and whispered back, "I think you got that right."

The teacher suddenly stood up and yelled something at the class in a very loud and resounding voice. The two girls winced at the volume, covering their ears with their hands. The teacher then proceeded to walk out of the classroom.

Chiharu looked at her desk mate for some explanation. He had remained asleep throughout the entire duration.

"He's no help," Chiharu rolled her eyes.

Naoko looked at the empty desk. "I'm sure that's better than having no buddy at all. Seriously, what's up with this class?"

"Your buddy is in the infirmary. Don't bother about Kang Ren. He's always asleep," A girl with long black hair said in very crude but still semi understandable Japanese. Chiharu perked up, standing up and bowing with the girl.

"I'm Chiharu and this is Naoko. I'm surprised – to think that someone around here actually knows Japanese," Chiharu smiled brightly.

Naoko laughed, standing up as well. "I think you're just glad you don't have to ask where the bathroom is with sign language, Chiharu-chan. What's your name?"

The girl folded her arms and said, "I'm Li Meiling."

"Meiling? Wait, are you Sakura-chan's friend?"

"Is that what she called me? Well, I suppose…" Meiling looked at the two of them from head to toe. "You must be her friends from her hometown then. From Tomoeda, right?"

"That's right! We were friends since she was in elementary school!" Chiharu smiled brightly.

"I see. Then do you know about her Cards?" Meiling quirked an eyebrow.

Naoko furrowed hers in return. "What Cards?"

Meiling brushed it off quickly. "Must be my mistake then. Forget about it."

Naoko shot Chiharu a confused glance. Chiharu shrugged her shoulders in return.

Naoko licked her lips and asked, "So… what was that about the teacher?"

Meiling scoffed, sitting on the empty desk beside Naoko's. "If you must know, we weren't supposed to be taking you all. I mean, we were given this task at fist but after practically the whole class protested against it, the teacher agreed to give the task to another class."

"So… what happened? We're still here." Chiharu leant against the desk.

"I don't know… Administrative error? Or was it Ling-laoshi forgetting to pass up the paperwork… In any words, the paperwork didn't get through and you all are stuck here even though you weren't supposed to be and all the preparations that were supposed to be done by the buddy class weren't done… by anyone. So basically this day is going to be a waste of time," Meiling rolled her eyes. "Trust me, the work here is top notch but the people are… let's just leave it as that."

Chiharu glanced at a girl who was straddling another boy. "I can see what you mean…"

Meiling snapped her fingers, gaining back the two's attention. Chiharu and Naoko both looked at her questioningly. Meiling folded her arms and said, "I'm interested to know more about your town. Mind if we go some place to talk? Just the few of us?"

"Talk?" Naoko glanced at Chiharu. "I guess…"

"Great. Let's go to the roof then," Meiling grabbed her bag.

"Wait, just let me call our other friend. He's a childhood friend of ours too," Chiharu looked around for the black headed boy. "Yamazaki-kun!"

Yamazaki looked up from the shoes he was looking at intently, gazing at the two of them with raised eyebrows. Chiharu gestured for him to come, and with an obvious sigh, he picked himself off the wall and strolled towards them.

**XxxX**

"So… you all were friends?" Meiling looked at the two girls and one boy. They didn't seem much… just the ordinary teens you see in the streets.

"Yeah, we were classmates since Elementary School… around our third or fourth grade, I think. Tomoyo knew her even longer – since first grade." Chiharu blabbed without thinking. Naoko nudged her sharply in the ribs.

Meiling furrowed her eyebrows. "Who's… Tomoyo?"

"A friend," Naoko replied smoothly.

"I see. So the four of you were friends?"

"Ah… There was one more but…" Yamazaki replied softly. "And we have another… she's not here anymore."

Naoko glared at the mention of the missing members.

Meiling's lips tightened. "Did something happen to her?"

"Is this… any of your business?" Naoko folded her arms defensively.

"Naoko-chan, let's tell her," Chiharu said softly. Naoko shot her an incredulous look.

"It's Rika-chan!"

"Hiding it from everyone is not going to change anything," The girl shook her head. "Rika-chan was the closest thing Sakura after Tomoyo. We can't hide her away like this anymore. It's not right. Rika-chan doesn't deserve this."

Yamazaki frowned quietly.

"…It's not pretty," Naoko warned.

"…Please, do tell me what happened," Meiling requested with a small but serious bow.

_O –O - -O - O O -_

_It was no secret that Rika liked Sensei._

_She had practically screamed it out to the whole school through her blushes and shy looks when she was in fifth grade._

_Of course, like in every typical romance, the one person who didn't get it was the person in question._

_Though he made good work of her heart before smashing it into pieces._

_On Graduation Day, he had given her a small silver ring as a memento. He knew she liked him, but never thought it was more than an admiration. The ring had fit on her third finger and the girl wore it everywhere, everyday, 24/7. If the occasion didn't allow the ring, she kept it in a small silk pouch with her until the moment came where she could put the ring back on. It was romantic. Tragically romantic._

_Of course, no one would have permitted a relationship between a teacher and the student, especially when the age gap was over 10 years and the girl was barely in Junior High. So Rika patiently waited it out. She had planned to wait it out until she graduated from High school. _

…_Really, nothing ever went as planned, does it?_

_Terada-sensei attained a teaching degree and was transferred to their Junior High School. Rika was ecstatic. She worried about her sensei forgetting about her once she graduated from Elementary School, but with him in her high school she could see him every day and vice versa. It was one step closer to her love._

_It was also the one step that brought her to the front row seats of her sensei's growing interest in another sensei._

_Yamagishi-sensei was the English teacher for the seniors. She was pretty, with long red hair that bobbled around her head in short, thick waves. She was also extremely fair, as if she had never seen a single streak of sun in her entire life. The sensei didn't hesitate to show off her fair skin with short sleeved blouses and skirts. Her confidence was alluring and never failed to turn heads whenever she strolled down the corridor to her classes. She was admired by the girls for her confidence and crushed on by the boys for her beauty._

_She was loved by everyone. Everyone but Rika._

_Terada-sensei grew onto the pretty sensei. They sat beside each other in the staff room, so their relationship was expected in the beginning. But as days turned into weeks and weeks slowly progressed into months, it became increasingly obvious that their relationship was rapidly becoming something more than the average staff relationships. They gradually began walking down the corridors to class together, chatting and laughing along the way. Terada-sensei was the perfect gentleman to her and carried her books and materials for class. She in turn was the perfect lady to him, preparing a set of bento for the two of them every day. Terada had graciously accepted the bento as Yamagishi-sensei had graciously accepted his help every day._

_Of course, what he didn't know was that Rika had also prepared a bento for him every day, waiting for the day that Yamagishi-sensei would accidentally slip and forget to bring him a bento. That never happened, of course. The two senseis grew closer with each passing day, with Rika in the background like a forgotten wallflower, watching the scene unfolding helplessly._

_It was no surprise to anyone when Yamagishi-sensei came to the school one day with a silver band on her finger. Barely a month later, they married in the town church with the whole school as audience. Terada-sensei had officially become an out of reach star to Rika._

_Perhaps it was the fact that the two of them both had unrequited love, but Sakura and Rika grew closer to each other. Since the day the sensei had showed up with a silver ring reminiscent of Rika's own ring, Rika had clung to Sakura like a lifeline. They spent hours together on the roof, sharing moments that no one else ever witnessed. When Terada-sensei had married, Rika disappeared for a full week. Sakura disappeared a day or two later but they both showed up the following week, smiling as though nothing ever happened. As if Rika never loved Terada-sensei. As if Rika never saw the only love she knew of being taken away by a woman that was way out of her league._

_Life returned to normal afterwards. They attended classes. Terada-sensei taught with a new-found passion. He grew better in English. He also hung around the red headed sensei a lot. But weeks later, his bright happy glow had dimmed to a weary expression. Dark bags grew under his eyes. He stopped bringing bentos to school. They hung around each other less to the point where it seemed as though they were avoiding each other. Terada-sensei's dream marriage had become something much less._

_Rika was the first to step into her sensei's comfort. She provided him with carefully made bentos, the ingredients far different from the usual bentos provided by his wife. He had accepted it with a smile and nod but not a word more. When he began losing weight, it was clear that he wasn't eating her bentos. The ring that was once proudly displayed on his finger disappeared sometime after. _

_Rika and Sakura were on the roof more often now. What her friends didn't understand was why she didn't step forward to proclaim her love to her sensei while his marriage was weak. It was obvious that with Yamagishi-sensei fading out of the picture that Rika stood a great chance._

_At that moment they had missed the fact that Rika looked stunningly like Yamagishi-sensei. Or was it that Yamagishi-sensei looked awfully like a grown up version of Rika. Either way, Rika's presence caused more irritation and annoyance to the sensei. He rejected her bentos coldly. He gave her the cold shoulder. Rika and Sakura became almost inseparable. _

_One day, Rika had gone up to her sensei during lunch period. As friends, they had tagged along discreetly. Sakura hung behind Rika like a shadow prepared to catch her anytime if she fell. Rika walked up boldly to the sensei and she engaged him in a one-sided talk._

_And she muttered the few words to him._

"I like sensei."

_Time seemed to slow at that moment. They would remember the moment for the rest of their lives._

**SLAP!**

"**Stay away! This is your fault!"**

_They watched, mortified, as he shredded the last piece of heart left in her. Rika touched the swollen cheek with trembling fingers. They didn't see them, but her friends were certain that tears were rolling down her face uncontrollably. Sakura stepped up to comfort her, but Rika ran. That was the last time anyone saw her._

_The next day, Terada-sensei had jumped off the school roof._

_A week after, Rika was found in her bedroom, stone cold. A bottle of sleeping pills was scattered beside her on her bed. Terada-sensei's ring had been abandoned on the floor._

_The funeral for both of them was solemn. Not many showed up. Rika's parents treated their daughter like a disgrace and had left the funeral midway. In the end, the only ones that had stayed till the end was the close group of friends._

_Sakura, Naoko, Chiharu, Yamazaki, Tomoyo, Eriol._

_Six people standing around the freshly dug grave as their friend was buried and sent back to the ground way before her time. Way before any one of them was meant to be. Six lilies were laid on her grave. Only six flowers, only six friends, in a great girl's final moments._

_By some sadistic stroke of chance, she was buried beside her sensei._

_Yamagishi-sensei disappeared soon after without a trace._

_Since that day, not one of them was ever the same. They had grown more withdrawn, more quiet. They stopped fooling around. Yamazaki didn't tell a single lie or made up story from that day. Sakura spent more time on the roof than anyone in the school. Even though they were desperately trying to hold onto each other with the loss of their close friend, it was the loss that was slowly drawing them apart. _

_Even though they swore not to over look their friend's emotions anymore, the distance eventually led them to miss the radical changes in their friends._

_O O- O - O - - O_

Meiling sniffed, hiding a tear.

Naoko and Chiharu had broken down somewhere along the way, leaving Yamazaki to stonily finish the story. The boy had did it emotionlessly as if he was reciting it from a book.

"How… How did such a thing happen?" Meiling asked in a hoarse voice.

Yamazaki looked down at his hands. "I suspect… And this was after talking to Sakura, that Terada-sensei actually loved Rika."

"Then why did the stupid sensei marry the other sensei?" Meiling cried, clenching her fists.

He gave her a cold smile. "That's precisely it, isn't it? He was her sensei. No matter what, no one would have approved of their relationship. Rika's parents scorned her for committing suicide. Did you think they would have let her get away alive if she had gotten into a relationship with her sensei who was more than ten years her senior? Terada-sensei too… He must have sought comfort in Yamagishi-sensei, who looked so much like Rika, but that turned out for the worse."

Meiling stifled a sob. "That kind of story… that's just too sad!"

"Sakura was hit the hardest of us all," Chiharu said softly. "Out of us all, she was eventually the closest to Rika. So when Rika just… I bet Sakura blamed herself for not stopping her in time. Even now, she still is. And the worst thing is that we don't even know how to comfort her. I…"

Naoko gritted her teeth, "We… even though we never said it…"

"Chiharu-chan, Naoko-chan, you don't have to say it," Yamazaki spoke. Naoko nodded and blinked back several tears.

"But who was this Yamagishi-sensei? It seems too much of a coincidence and…" Meiling's eyes darkened. "There's no coincidence. Only the inevitable."

"That phrase…" Naoko looked up in shock. "Where did you hear that from?"

"It's an old saying passed down the Li Clan. Out ancestor Clow Reed said it," Meiling replied. "Why do you ask?"

"That… I've heard Eriol-kun and Sakura-chan say the same thing as well… I researched the saying but nothing came up. How did they know about something like that?"

"Uh… " Meiling's eyes darted around. "I don't know… Who's this Eriol?" (_Safe!)_

"Eriol-kun? Oh… he's another friend…" Chiharu tried to shrug off the topic.

"So are we covering up Eriol-kun as well?" Naoko bit coldly. "He's every much as a dear friend as Rika-chan was."

Chiharu winced. "But still… He's…"

"I'll do the talking if you want me to," Yamazaki said.

"No, it's alright. I can do this," Naoko said.

_O – O-O –O – - O O-O _

_Eriol had stepped into their lives in sixth grade. He portrayed himself as a polite, friendly and charming boy, which was in all aspects, true. He got along instantly with Yamazaki and the both of them seemed to share a telepathic link, able to cook up stories (that were undeniably false though some just didn't get it) without even discussing a word of it. To top it off, they were able to build on each other, finishing each other's sentences with an ease that almost made them suspect they were twins._

_He was the last addition, but also the most short lived._

_Within a few months, he and Sakura grew unexpectedly close. It was strange to see that as Sakura never got along well with boys save her family and her friend Yukito. Her friendship with Yamazaki was merely because Chiharu was close to him and had therefore drawn him into their group. But seeing Sakura voluntarily take it a step further with Eriol was beyond what they imagined. Somehow, Sakura seemed to give a sense that she would never take a step closer to any boy with the exception of her crush._

_Oh course, they had welcomed the change. Sakura was changing for the better and they appreciated the change Eriol brought along. They hung out more often, going on outings together and eating lunch in each other's company more frequently. Tomoyo began growing closer to Eriol as well. In a few short years that would eventually turn to a relationship._

_Eriol had originally planned to stay in Tomoeda for their sixth grade, they were told. He had something to do in the small town and it seemed, nearing the end of the school term, that his task was finally completed. He had no reason to stay and thus was returning to England. _

_They missed him terribly._

_But then weird things started happening. Stuff started to disappear. The bridge they had so often taken to the Penguin Park from school had disappeared, collapsed, and no one knew what did it. Mailboxes vanished into thin air as if a void had appeared and swallowed it whole, leaving only a part of the stand left to indicate that it ever existed. Craters erupted on the school field as if imaginary landmines had gone off and had taken a part of the town with them._

_And then, people started going missing. _

_Everything started to go fuzzy from then on, but the thing they remembered clearly was Eriol rushing into the city in a flurry at the break of dawn. They weren't sure what had happened – one moment they were watching Sakura dance with Yamazaki on the stage during their play and the next, it was nine hours later and everyone had seemed to collapse at the site with no clue of what had happened. _

_Eriol had showed up shortly after the confusion, carrying an unconscious Sakura in his arms. Her brother snatched her out of his arms and he, along with a dazed Yukito had rushed to the hospital. They had watched them go with worried expressions and voiced concerns, but no one had missed the forlorn, shattered look in Eriol's eyes – as if he had just watched his most beloved person die in front of his eyes._

_It was then that their dynamics began to shift._

_Most noticeably was Tomoyo. She had taken to Eriol like a butterfly to a flower, drawn to him in a way that they could only express as love. Now that Eriol had returned to Tomoeda, she had taken the opportunity to develop her relationship with her. It seemed, that after years of being Sakura's best friend, that she found it not enough to fill her heart and she found the missing piece residing with Eriol. Eriol had reciprocated, despite their initial suspicions that he liked the red headed sensei, and they had started off well._

_Sakura, however, treated Eriol more like family. She had begun to distance herself from her own older brother and his best friend, leaving her with the small group of friends she had. The way Sakura looked at Eriol was skin to familial love, as though he was an older brother she never knew she had. Eriol in turn had treated her with a tenderness that would have convinced anyone that they were real siblings._

_Of course, with Tomoyo steadily growing closer to Eriol, there were little private interactions between the two of them. However, once every fortnight the two would disappear for a day to a place no one knew and only return the next day. If Tomoyo had known where they were, she didn't say. She didn't seem to mind the time they shared privately though, and instead used the time to rush out several beautiful dresses. One would be given to Sakura, of course, though the rest would be worn during her dates with Eriol. Compared to the time where Tomoyo had sewn for the sake of Sakura, it was obvious that her priorities had shifted. The world as Tomoyo knew it no longer revolved around Sakura. Instead, it was her with Eriol as the Sun and Sakura as the distant Stars, still twinkling and brightly shining, but less noticeable, less dazzling. A world without the stars would be less bright, but the absence of the sun would mean the end of the world for her._

_Things had changed between them so much that they began to doubt if Eriol's return really was a good thing._

_But it had anchored Sakura. On those days when Sakura had a far-away look in her eyes as though something was burning away from the inside of her and the only way she knew to bear with it was to shut out the world, Eriol had spent time with her, murmuring words to her in his soft and soothing voice like a father would to his terrified child. Sakura would be better soon after and never failed to give Eriol a deep look of gratitude._

_They convinced themselves that Eriol ultimately did bring good into their lives._

_Not long after, though, they took that back._

_No one was sure what had happened to them. Rumors flew about that they were involved in an armed robbery. Others said that they got into a fight. One even tried to propose that Eriol self-harmed. In any case, Eriol wound up in a coma with three long gashes on his chest. He didn't wake for a long time. Just like that, Eriol's presence in their tightly knit group had been taken away and it left a gaping hole, leaving the rest to fall out as well._

_With Eriol's sudden disappearance from their lives, it became clear exactly how deeply rooted his presence was to everyone else. _

_Yamazaki, who was already withdrawn from Rika's death, had closed in on himself even more. Not the slightest hint of a fabricated story slipped from his mouth and they doubted he even had one going through his mind at times. Eriol had been a great friend – a person that could actually synchronize with him and sprout lies like a water tap. He was the first and the only one to be able to relate to Yamazaki on such a personal level._

_Tomoyo had been put off balance at the sudden loss of a warm body beside her and grew more reserved. She stopped spending time with them, opting to wait by Eriol's side after school everyday even though he showed no signs of waking. There were no more cheerful exclamations from her about the newest design she had made. Sakura received no more outfits from her. Tomoyo practically stopped using her video camera and treated the subject like a taboo._

_For Sakura, it was like Rika all over – this time on an even deeper level. She too stopped hanging around them and disappeared for hours at a time after school. No one could get a hold of her no matter how hard they tried. She had shut off her cell phone and blocked out all contact from the world during those times. She and Tomoyo grew apart from the incident onwards and after weeks they barely spoke to each other anymore. They suspected Sakura had something to do with Eriol's coma but they didn't ask._

_Sakura and Tomoyo both refused to say a thing._

_They too did not wish to see that torn look in their eyes at the mention of the topic._

_And just like that, the person who had brought their group so tightly knitted and added the finishing touch to a truly blissful time also tore them apart – unintentionally, of course. They tried to convince themselves that the tears already started appearing when Rika left, but they knew that it was ultimately him who tore the final hole._

_They didn't know whether to love him or to hate him._

_But if given a choice, they would have chosen not to have known him in the first place._

_O O-O – O - O_

Naoko looked down at her hands. She had taken a detached tone halfway through the explaining and her face had gone blank.

"I… Really didn't want to talk about this," Chiharu whispered.

They were deathly silent.

Chiharu let out a sob, closing her eyes and rocking her body. "It's… it's these times when… People get to see how… ugly we really are on the inside… I… never wanted anyone to know… how black we are… how dark our hearts were… How we actually resented Sakura for not saving Rika… How we hated Eriol for taking Sakura and Tomoyo away from us… For detesting ourselves for even thinking of such things… We… aren't kind people at all!"

Yamazaki put an arm around her and hugged her tightly. "Chiharu, it's alright. Please don't cry."

"I… When I came over to China, I thought this was the chance to repair the tears in our group. I thought that over here, where Sakura would not… would not be reminded of the pain… of the loss… that we could finally regain what we lost but -" Chiharu broke off, sobbing. "We… I…"

"Chiharu-chan," Naoko squeezed Chiharu's hand.

Meiling's gaze dropped.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. This was a sensitive subject-"

"No, don't be," Naoko interrupted. She struggled to plaster a smile on her face, though the edges of her mouth seemed to be resisting the upward turn. "We needed to let this out. This ugliness inside of us… we needed to bare it or we would have died from keeping it in." Naoko sighed, hugging herself. "We knew how dark our thoughts eventually became. Thinking that if everything didn't happen, then we would have been happier… thinking selfish, selfish thoughts. Our halcyon days ended long ago and it's as if we have been living our lives in a world of darkness…"

Chiharu gasped and sobbed, flinging herself to Naoko and embracing her tightly as she shed tears that were long overdue.

Yamazaki sighed, leaning against the railing of the roof and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. "It was a good decision to come here."

Meiling shot him a confused glance.

He smiled. "We found out how black our hearts were. That's good. If we didn't come here, we would have never found an outlet for all this. Thank you, Meiling-san, for being a pair of ears. Like what's been said, I feel as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Shanghai… really… was a good place to come."

…_-never told a single lie from then…_

Meiling closed her eyes and nodded quietly.

'_I thought her friends would be dark, seeing as how dark Sakura is now. But this… this is beyond what I expected. Just what on earth happened over there? Surely it can't be coincidence, right?'_

**XxxX**

"Re… numeration?" Shaoran asked uncertainly.

Sakura nodded.

"If I'm right, then this could possibly be our chance to stop Kaoru-san."

**XxxX**

**Urgh… This chapter took really long… Longer than I wanted it to take. I'm really sorry for the wait!**

**Life keeps getting in the way… (sense the depression)… Well, to those who keep up with my after-chapter rants, here's some more for you: Turns out not nursing my injury and being bullheaded and wanting to continue to train cost me my chance in Nationals. Mah I didn't really expect to get into the team but being off the list completely was a totally blow to the face. Well, considering I got injured again halfway through the selections and had to be sent to the hospital, I couldn't expect less but still… GRRRRR! And with all the other commitments on top… I feel like I'm about to drop dead…**

**Ok! End of ranting! The next chapter will take a while because I have quite a lot of work to plough through before I have a bit of free time. Still, I left a little cliff hanger at the end so I'll try not to take too long. Thanks for reading and please do leave a review! Until next time~**e


	13. Chapter 13

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 13**

"I'm free to go?" Sakura asked as she jumped off the bed, testing out her foot gingerly.

Yimin nodded. "It's completely healed. No use keeping you cooped up here any longer. Go to class."

Sakura leant her weight against her bad foot.

Yimin looked up from her desk, turning to Sakura and asking, "Is something wrong?"

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "There's nothing for you to worry about. I'll be going now!"

**XxxX**

Sakura approached the classroom, her steps slowing to a halt as she reached the door. With a resigned sigh, she opened the door quietly and walked into the rowdy classroom which seemed even more noisy and crowded than usual due to the fifteen students that had been squeezed into Class 17. Her eyes flashed across the room, marking the presence of a few individuals.

Her friends spotted her first.

"Sakura-chan!" Chiharu exclaimed as she rushed up to her friend and gave her a big hug. "Are you okay? Why weren't you in school the past few days? We were worried for you!"

"Chiharu-chan," Sakura smiled in return, hugging her back. She switched to Japanese immediately and said, "I'm sorry for worrying you… I had not known…"

"Mou, Sakura-chan! We care for you! Has that not gotten into your head yet?" Chiharu pouted and pinched her hand playfully. "Of course we would worry! We're your friends, you know!"

_We're your friends, you know!_

_I have people who care. _

_There are people who care._

_**-YOU! Things would have been better if you were never-**_

_I still have people who care._

Sakura let a small, true smile grace her lips.

"Thank you… Chiharu-chan," Sakura pulled away from Chiharu. She looked her over and commented, "You seem different today… Somehow, you seem… lighter. More carefree. Like something has been lifted off your shoulders."

Chiharu touched her cheek, shocked. "Do I really look that way?"

"Mmhm… Did something good happen?" Sakura asked as they walked over to their seats.

Chiharu winked and giggled, "That's a secret! I'll tell you some other day!"

Sakura laughed and nodded.

"Kinomoto."

"Li-kun," Sakura nodded at the brown headed boy. She sat down beside him at her desk, pulling out her notebooks and setting them on her table.

Shaoran turned to her slightly with a tilt of his body and murmured under his breath, "Could we… talk after school today? The usual place?"

Sakura opened her pencil case and took out a pen. She murmured back softly, "Sure."

A few seats in front of them, Meiling watched on enviously at the quiet interaction between the two.

**XxxX**

_It wasn't as though I hated her._

_Well…_

_Maybe I do hate her._

_I know it is a complete irrational hate. She could not have helped it._

_But that day… I remember it to the slightest detail._

_How he had appeared_

_How he had approached_

_How he had laughed_

_How he had maimed…_

_For a long time, she was the only star in my sky. I had grown to worship her for that._

_But then, he came along._

_For once, my world was not illuminated by a single star. She was a brightly burning star that lit my whole life but he… he was the sun. The one closer to my heart. The one that meant life or death. The one that was everything to me. _

_And just like that, because of her, my sun was shot down from the sky in mere seconds._

_She could not have helped it. If she had, perhaps the one lying in a coma would be her right now. Perhaps she would even be dead. She didn't have a Fujitaka-san. She didn't have a half-reincarnation to save her. She was my best friend. I should be grateful that she's alright._

_Except that I'm not._

_If possible, I'm even more incensed that she could still go on living, talking and eating like a normal, healthy living person while he was lying in a bed, life trickling away from him by the day. It just wasn't fair._

_I understand that she's not at fault. People as powerful as her… they always are bound to have a few enemies. I bet even he had quite a few enemies in his past lifetime._

_But that doesn't make it any easier to forgive her._

_But that doesn't make it any easier to erase this boiling hate that is growing in me._

_But that doesn't make it any easier to shut away the pain_

_I hate her._

_But most of all, I hate myself._

**XxxX**

A silver haired man in his twenties looked up. His hands, holding a piping bag above a neatly and beautifully decorated cream cake, lowered. He set the piping bag down, turning around to look around at the kitchen. There were few people working in the kitchen and they were all busy with their own creations. With a sigh, he turned back to his cake to add on the finishing touches.

**Why are you here?**

He jumped, nearly dropping the icing bag into his cake.

**Why are you acting as though nothing had happened?**

The young man's eyes narrowed and he glanced around. Nothing was out of the ordinary. His colleagues were still working.

There couldn't have been anyone to-

**Why are you continuing to delude yourself?**

This was…

**Why are you hiding the facts from yourself?**

Could it be…?

**Why are you living a guiltless, carefree life?**

He clamped his hands around his ears desperately.

**Did you think you could get away with this ignorance forever?**

"Stop it!" He whispered harshly, squeezing his eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the voice.

**In that case, you are every bit as a sinner as she is.**

"Stop!" He yelled, drawing the attention of his colleagues.

"Oi, Tsukishiro, what's wrong-"

**Let me deal out your punishment then.**

"NO!"

"Tsukishiro – he's hyperventilating! Someone call an ambulance!"

**Say goodbye to your happiness.**

"We're losing him! Hey, can you hear me? Tsukishiro!"

**I shall deal to you…**

"Hey! He's slipping away!"

**The worst kind of punishment ever.**

The dam broke.

The man screamed as an onslaught of memories flooded into his head.

**XxxX**

Sakura laid down on the roof, breathing in the cool, fresh air.

"When did you start taking sorcery seriously?"

Shaoran turned his head to her, raising his eyebrows.

"Me?"

"Mm."

"Well… it's hard to say," He sighed, resting his head on his hands as he laid down beside her.

"I'm all ears."

"Probably… when I grew to realize that I wasn't strong enough to become a respectable Clan Head like my father. I forgot when that had hit me but… I knew that after my father's death and my blindness, the Elders wanted to search for an alternate Clan Head," He pulled his sunglasses off, clenching them tight in his fist. "I couldn't let them take that away from me. It was the legacy left behind for me from Father. I knew that if I couldn't prove myself to them, I would lose… everything."

Sakura closed her eyes. "So you trained harder in order to prove… that you're the most suitable."

"Yes… yes, that's it," He nodded. "What about you?"

Sakura didn't respond for a moment.

"Kinomoto?"

"Sorcery… Even the cards…" She let out a soft chuckle. "Things were always a life-or-death for me. Even when capturing the cards, a single lapse in concentration could have sent me plummeting to death from up in the sky. There was once… I faced a challenge on a snowy hill. I tried to deal with it while my reserves were low but I ended up fainting from exhaustion. I was lucky to have survived. In those kinds of situation, how could I have not taken it seriously?"

"…I see. Things must have been hard on your own."

"It was. It was very hard. For a long while, there was only one other person who knew of my secret and I was struggling under the weight and implications of it all. Up to my tenth birthday, I had always thought that the world was normal and devoid of magic but then in mere moments my life had been flipped upside down and I was tasked with something I would never otherwise dream of doing. It was… terrifying, at times."

He turned on his side to face her.

"But you said that there was a person who knew of it, right?"

"Yes, there was. She found out completely by accident, though. If possible, though, I would have never wanted to have drawn her into everything," Sakura mumbled, resting her arm on her eyes to block out the sunlight. "I kept thinking that if I had managed to hide this from her, she would have led a more carefree life and wouldn't have had to risk her life so many times because of me…"

Shaoran grunted. "That… would make sense."

"It does, doesn't it?" She sat up, pulling out her Star Key from under her shirt and staring at it fondly. "But then… what kind of best friend would I be if I kept something as huge and important as this from her?"

"…"

He coughed and sat up as well.

"Sorry… I'm not able to relate…" He looked away in embarrassment. "I… never had a real friend before."

Sakura blinked owlishly.

"Oh… that must have been rough," She murmured. "I couldn't image living without my friends…"

Shaoran shrugged nonchalantly. "Won't feel the loss if I never had it to begin with."

"That's not true. When you see others with their friends… don't you feel lonely?"

He turned away, looking down.

"It doesn't matter if you can actually see it or not… just knowing you don't have friends, doesn't it hurt you?" Sakura probed, scooting closer.

His mouth twitched. "'Suppose so…"

She took his hand gently. Shaoran turned to face her curiously.

"If that's so… Then… can I be your friend?"

His mouth dropped.

"Ah! Is it not possible…"

"No!" He blushed at the outburst. "What I mean is… I'd be glad… if you could… be my friend, that is."

She smiled brightly.

"Then that's settled! I'll be your friend, Li-kun!"

He blushed even further, lowering his head to hide the red tinge of his cheeks. "S-… Shaoran will do."

"Hoe?"

"You can call me Shaoran. That's… what friends do, don't they? In Japan…" Shaoran said uncertainly.

She blinked for a few moments before laughing and saying, "Alright! I'll call you Shaoran-kun from now on. In return, you'll have to call me Sakura!"

"I-it goes two ways?" He choked.

"Of course! Right then, Shaoran-kun, shall we go out after school today?" Sakura took his hands and squeezed them eagerly, stars in her sky hard to miss unless…

"S-sakura… Urgh, this is hard," He rubbed the back of his head. "Could I just call you Ying?"

"Sa-ku-ra. Say it!" She insisted.

"S-sa… ku… ra…" He muttered out softly.

"Great! Then about today afternoon…"

"Eh? Where're we going?"

"Hi-mi-tsu!"

"What?" He cocked his head to the side in confusion.

Sakura laughed brightly, taking his hands and pulling him to his feet. "The last time, you gave me a chance to feel what it's like to be blind. Now I'm going to do the same!"

"Show me what it's like to be blind?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Hi-mi-tsu desu!"

"What does that mean?"

"Himitsu desu!"

"Oi, Sakura!"

She turned to face him at the mention of her name. She smiled and giggled, "I'm going to show you the most beautiful thing in the world! But what it is… that's a secret. See you after school, Shaoran-kun!"

**XxxX**

_She is a burning star. _

_No matter how far away she is,_

_There is not enough darkness in the world to dim away the light of her star._

_But what can dim her is the loss of her drive._

_With Rika gone,_

_It burned a notch cooler_

_With me gone,_

_It wasn't so bright anymore_

_With her father gone,_

_She faded out of the sky_

_But what is amazing about Sakura is that_

_Once she finds her drive again,_

_She'll return as an even brighter star_

_She never went away_

_She was there all the time_

_You just didn't notice her._

Eriol set his fountain pen down, stretching his sore fingers.

"Eriol-kun, it's time for lunch!" Nakuru said as she walked into his room with a tray of chicken and rice.

"Thank you, Nakuru," Eriol replied, moving his pens and journal away from the table so that she could set the tray in front of him.

"I hope you'll be eating more today," She half suggested half warned.

"I will. Thank you for cooking such an amazing meal, Nakuru," Eriol put his hands together. "Itadakimasu." He dug into the rice with gusto.

"I can feel your magic returning. You'll be back in shape in a few weeks," Nakuru chirped happily as she poured the tea and added two cubes of sugar into the dark liquid.

"Yes… It won't be long now…"

'_I just hope he won't act until then.'_

"So, who're you going to tell first?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Eriol looked up from his food.

"Who're you going to tell that you're out of coma?" Nakuru repeated.

Eriol pondered over his food. "Sakura, for sure. I need to put her out of her worries. Maybe after that, Tomoyo."

"Maybe after that? Eriol, she's your girlfriend!"

"I know but… I'm not ready to deal with her yet. Such a drastically changed Tomoyo… it scares me to even think what had happened the past year," He shuddered, setting his spoon down. "At least, when I know how to deal with her…"

'_This will probably cause some trouble between us but it can't be helped. A Tomoyo like that is… obsessive and dangerous. Just let her hold out for a few more weeks. Just a few more weeks.'_

_Just a few weeks wouldn't hurt anyone, right?_

**XxxX**

They were out of the door in seconds.

Sakura grabbed the sleeve of Shaoran's blazer, pulling him along as they flew down the hall in top speed before any other student had come out their classroom. She laughed brightly as they quickly escaped the confines of the school and into the open air.

"Kino- Sakura… Where're we going?" He asked, blindly following her as she led him along.

"Didn't I say? Himitsu-desu!" She teased. She took a sharp turn into an alley way and led him through the narrow path. He stumbled on the uneven ground but quickly managed to regain his pace and match her speed.

"Really…" He sighed.

"Almost there, Shaoran-kun! Careful – we're going into… well, you'll see."

"I can't," He deadpanned.

"Believe me – you will."

His feet brushed against something on the ground. He kicked it around, and upon finding it thin and light, deduced that it was a leaf.

"Ki – Sakura, are we going into a park?" He questioned incredulously.

"Hm… Think wilder!"

"A forest?" His jaws dropped.

"Bingo!"

She pulled him closer to her, keeping him close as she navigated her way through the forest. She tapped her foot against the roots to warn him of their position as they moved, letting him step over the protruding roots with ease.

"Why a forest?" He asked as he stepped over another root.

"Because we don't want anyone stumbling upon us," She replied. She kicked a few pebbles out of the way for him, sending them clattering away into the bushes.

"…Will it involve magic?"

"You'll see!"

"I can't," He stressed again.

Sakura paused for a moment, causing him to bump into her back slightly.

"How does Shaoran-kun see?"

"See? I told you that I couldn't-"

"I didn't mean that kind of seeing. I meant, how do you see magic and life? I'm sure you can – how else would you get around like a normal person?"

Shaoran furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean, see? Isn't it… instinct?"

Sakura chuckled, pulling him forward once more and resuming their trek through the forest. "Normal people can't sense life and death, living and non-living, and most certainly magical and non-magical, Shaoran-kun."

He shrugged. "I don't know. It's more like… I can feel shapes moving under my eyelids. There're flashes of colour too but most of the time it's just the feeling. I listen too, of course. And I feel the wind for movement."

"That's amazing!" She praised.

Shaoran blushed and looked down. "It's not that great… Considering that Wei had been helping me with it since young, it's natural that I would be proficient in combining all these senses together to get around with life. Of course, I can't do things like cook or iron since I can't see anything…"

"Is that so…" She pulled him along further more and came to a stop. "We're here!"

"Here is where?" He turned around, feeling the leaves rustle beneath his feet.

"I came across this place during my daily runs. I thought it was quite a pretty place and it's full of life," She said, doing a spin on the spot. He felt the winds whipping around as she twirled. "Come, feel it with me!"

"Feel?" He stood awkwardly.

"Right! Close your eyes and focus on the sounds, the winds, the presence of the woods and the birds…" She took his hands and held them in hers. Shaoran dipped his head slightly, trying to attempt what she told him to do. He slowed his breathing to a calm meditative pace, focusing on the surroundings.

For a few moments, they stood silently in the forest, breathing slowly.

The next moment, he nearly gasped and lost his concentration.

_Everything seemed so… clear._

He could feel the wind blowing, rustling the leaves ever so slightly. The leaves drew across the damp ground gently, making soft sounds as they drifted past. He could hear the birds chirping in the distance, soft and thrilling. Not too far off, he could hear the soft trickle of water. A creak, perhaps? The water crashed against the rocks, dripping off the surface and making 'plop' sounds as they returned to the water.

He could hear her breathing. Concentrating on her, he slowed his breathing even further to the point where he matched her pace. Slowly, they gradually began breathing in unison. Their chests rose and fell together and he never felt more in tuned with someone before.

And then the world drastically shifted.

All of a sudden, there was a brilliant splash of colours behind his eyes.

They were surrounded by green – the trees, most likely. A splash of blue was not far off, long and stretching beyond what he could feel. It was continuously moving, never at rest. Far off, dots of yellow and orange flitted across the green. Were those the birds? White shone through the green, shining on everything. It was strong, like power. It was also very warm. What was that?

He spoke for the first time since they had started the entire practice.

"What's the white light?" He asked quietly.

"That's sunlight," She replied.

Sunlight… he hadn't seen sunlight in years…

His attention was drawn to the girl in front of him. He could feel her closely. She was pink, a glowing and shining body of dark pink. He could feel the small spot of gold near her chest. The Star Key she used? It didn't nearly pulse as brightly as hers, though it was a tight spot of concentrated magic that gleamed brightly like a star in a dark sky.

Like a star.

She broke contact with him, slowly drawing her hands away from him.

The keen senses he had developed faded away. He took a step back, overwhelmed by the loss of colour.

"What was that?" He breathed.

Sakura sat down on the ground. "It's called attuning. You attune yourself to the surroundings, becoming one with them. You did see, didn't you? How beautiful everything is? You saw everything clearly."

He nodded mutely. "It… I never saw anything so clearly before. How did you do that?"

"I had someone guide me at first, like what I did with you. You will learn how to evoke the feeling eventually, after some practice. Your sensing will become more acute though, and you'll be able to sense things far beyond your normal limitations without attuning. It's a way of training. Haven't you tried it before?"

He shook his head. "I've done meditation but never at a level like this."

"Strange… your clan is made of descendants of Clow Reed so…"

"What do you mean?"

"Hm? Nothing, really. Just musing…" She stood up and brushed the back of her skirt. "We should get going though."

"Eh? Can't we do it again?" Shaoran asked.

Sakura chuckled. "We can do it tomorrow. Unless you haven't noticed, it's already been two hours."

"Two hours?" But it felt so short…

He wanted to feel that feeling again… The bliss at seeing everything…

"Shaoran-kun," He felt her grasp his hands. "It's beautiful, isn't it? It makes you want to sink into it and never get up every again."

He felt a lump in his throat.

"I understand. The first time I did it, it felt like the happiest thing in my entire life. I never wanted it to stop."

He nodded mutely.

"But you can't. Look into yourself – don't you feel your reserves low? Attuning takes quite a bit from you and overdoing it may cause you to die from magical exhaustion."

She was right. He felt much more lethargic than usual. Was that the price of such a beautiful thing?

"You'll need much more practice. But that's okay, because I'll be here to guide you through it and make sure you don't overdo it. You understand? You absolutely cannot try this without a partner just yet. You might lose control."

But still…

"Shaoran-kun, do I have your word? Can you promise me that you won't attempt this without me? In return, I will guide you through this every time and teach you the control. If not, I will never attempt this again, and you will never learn how to evoke the feeling again."

She gave him a chance to have a sight that was incomparable to anything else.

He would be a fool to not learn from her, to not be grateful for her, to not obey the only request in exchange for this.

He nodded. "You have my word. I will not try this without you."

He could feel her smile. "Good. Now, let's get going. Hold onto me, Shaoran-kun. Tightly."

She wrapped his arms around her waist. He hugged her awkwardly.

"Wha-"

"Jump!"

He tightened his grip instantly as the ground left his feet. For a moment, he felt as though he was flying, before he felt them fall back towards the ground. They touched the ground briefly, only to shoot up into the sky once more.

"Wha- This is…" He gasped as he felt the air rush past his face.

"Isn't this fun?" Sakura laughed brightly, holding him tight as she jumped higher and higher.

"This is…" He struggled for the word to say. "It's… really fun!"

"Isn't it?" She reaffirmed, joy

"How are you doing this?" He asked.

"Sakura Cards!" She replied. They landed gently on the roof of a building. She let him go, and he reluctantly withdrew his arms from her waist.

He sensed a familiar presence below him. "Where…"

"We're at your apartment building. Let's get off the roof shall we?" She opened a door. He nodded reluctantly, retreating from the cool evening air and into the warm building.

"Can we do that again?" He asked as they descended the steps.

"Sure, but maybe not tomorrow. I think we both are worn out from today."

He sighed.

"The day after tomorrow then?"

He nodded immediately.

They stopped at the fifth floor and Shaoran walked to the door of his apartment. He turned to face her and gave her a slight nod.

"T-thank you… Sakura," He murmured.

"You're welcome, Shaoran-kun. See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." He breathed. There was a tight feeling in his chest, as though he didn't want her to leave.

"Bye, Shaoran-kun!" She skipped off lightly.

Shaoran placed a hand over his chest, trying to calm the beating heart. There was something heavy in his chest, causing a sinking feeling as he felt her leave him… further and further, heavier and heavier…

The door to his apartment opened.

"Young Master?"

"Wei," He nodded at the old caretaker.

"Young Master… you…"

"What is it?" He asked, slipping out of his shoes.

"…It's nothing. I take it today has been a good day?"

He nodded. "Very."

"I see. That's good to hear, Young Master."

"Thank you, Wei." He stepped into the apartment. The heavy feeling had gradually lessened and it was now replaced with a light, airy feeling. It felt… good.

He let a smile grace his lips.

Today, had been one of the happiest days of his life.

**XxxX**

_I am a God in my own world._

_I am a God in a dark world._

_I am a God in my world were in this world, there is only one being._

_In my own dark solitude, I command the space._

_With no colour, I am bound by no limitations._

_With no one there, I have no expectations to live up to._

_It is only the crowded, messy world outside that binds me to obligations._

_I live in my own world, yet I'm living in theirs too._

_My world is wonderful._

_It's simple._

_It's carefree._

_The dark is limitless._

_Being a God in my own limitless world is wonderful._

_It is also very lonely._

_That's why…_

_When the Star appeared in my sky, I was taken aback._

_I had never seen something so bright before._

_I had never seen something so beautiful before._

_I wanted to touch it._

_But I knew that if I did_

_My world, which I had grown to love_

_Would crumble away from the light._

_My hands hesitated in grabbing the star._

_I wanted it to continue burning brightly and bring colour to my lonely world._

_At the same time, I just wanted to rip it off my sky_

_And curse it for every intruding on the world which I owned._

**XxxX**

Shaoran sat up in his bed.

"I… mustn't…"

He groaned and rested his head on his knees.

"My Black World… I can't…"

He let out a strangled sob.

"I want it to end so badly!"

**XxxX**

_If one could be said to be a kind and forgiving person_

_Then they would be bound by expectations to be kind and forgiving to every person they meet_

_To every person that had been wrong._

_But in the midst of forgiving _

_Would you be forgetting what it means to be human?_

_When you cannot even remember the emotions and anger towards a loss or a wronged?_

_Does forgiving mean forgetting?_

_How can you forgive yet not forget?_

_We live by our emotions_

_Yet to forgive would seem like cutting off the part that cares, and then smiling and saying that everything is alright._

_Can you forgive him without fully forgiving him?_

_Can you forgive when you still bear resentment?_

_Is it wrong to say that you forgive when you actually don't? _

_I'm drowning in an ocean of questions so deep that the light to the answers will never reach the deepest and darkest of them all._

The pen stopped. The teen raised the nib of the fountain pen, looking at the wet drop at the bottom of the page. He touched his face, finding the wet trail of tears on his cheek.

"Oh… oh…" More tears spilled out from the corner of his eyes.

_What had I been thinking of?_

**XxxX**

He opened his eyes, blinking blearily. With a heavy groan, he sat up. Taking a look around, he found himself in a white room.

"How… did I get here?" He mumbled, slipping out of the bed.

Everything seemed so fuzzy. His head felt as though someone had stuffed cotton and stones into it at the same time, making it extremely fuzzy and heavy. He groaned and walked to the door, opening it slowly.

"Yuki!"

He took a step back instantly, clutching his head.

"Oh my gosh, Yuki, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"T-tou…ya…" He mumbled out.

"You remember me. That's good," The brown haired man sighed in relief.

Remember…

Why… did I…

"Who… did I forget?" Yukito asked, looking up at Touya.

The man's face paled. "What do you mean?"

"I know I've forgotten someone but I don't know who. Tell me, Touya! Who did I forget?" Yukito clutched a fistful of the man's shirt, shaking him insistently.

"Yuki, you're confused," Touya insisted, pulling his hands off his shirt. He patted the man on the back and said with a smile, "Let's get you back in bed, shall we?"

"No!"

He slapped Touya's hand away.

Touya's smile dropped.

Yukito lowered his gaze shamefully.

"Touya, I… I _need _to know. I need to know what I've forgotten. For so many years, I've lived an existence that I myself never knew about. It was only after-" He broke off abruptly. With a bewildered look, he touched his forehead and muttered, "Who… who gave me this existence? Why… why is there a gaping hole in my memories? Touya…" Yukito glanced up at the taller boy. "You do know… don't you?"

Touya bit his lower lip and looked away.

"Touya! Answer me!" Yukito snapped, shaking his arm.

"It's Sakura! You forgot about Sakura, okay?" Touya yelled back, snatching his arm away from him.

"Sa… Sakura?"

"Yes! You forgot about Sakura, my sister! You forgot about Sakura, the one who had crushed on you for god-knows-how-many-years! You forgot about Yue, for god's sake! You forgot about how I tried to give you my sixth sense in order to keep you alive!" Touya yelled, storming past the silver head and sitting on the messed up bed.

"Sakura… Yue…" Yukito squeezed his eyes shut. "Why… can't I remember? I know it's in my head somewhere but… I can't reach out to the memory. It's… hidden behind a fog…"

"…Yuki, you don't have to remember," Touya whispered.

Yukito looked up and glared at the man. "You're sounding like a hypocrite now, do you know? You were so angry when I forgot about this Sakura and Yue and your sixth sense, and now you don't want me to remember?"

"That's not it!"

"Then what is? Is it that horrible? Why did I even lose my memories in the first place? Touya!"

"**I don't want you to remember because I want you for myself!"**

Yukito stopped short.

Touya lowered his head in shame.

"I know it's selfish but… if you remembered Sakura, then a part of you would always be hers. Because… she was the one that saved you from fading away… and she was the one who gave you this life. If you didn't remember her… Yuki… your heart would only have me and… I… I'm _sorry_," Touya whispered.

Yukito stared at him for a long moment with blank eyes.

Touya flinched at the lack of warmth in those eyes.

Walking up to him, Yukito placed his hands on Touya's cheeks and lifted them up so that he could look deep into the man's eyes.

"Did it occur to you that… I would have been hurt by what you've been keeping from me?" Yukito asked, his tone light but chilling.

"…Yes."

"And you still decided to keep such an important thing from me?" His tone was downright cold now.

"…Yes…"

"…" Yukito closed his eyes and sighed.

Touya closed his eyes in shame.

"You'll have to make it up to me," Yukito murmured, wrapping an arm around Touya's waist and hugging him. "I know you did it for selfish reasons… You have hurt me deeply by keeping this from me. Am I not worth the truth, Touya?"

"Y-Yuki…"

"Help me find the truth. Help me remember. That is the price," Yukito tightened his hug. "If you really care for me… if you really treasure me, then you would help me find what I have lost. You will help me find what you have so desperately been keeping from me."

Touya hugged Yukito back, burying his head in the silver hair for a moment.

"Will you… forgive me then?"

Yukito sighed and smiled, "I would never be angry at you for long, Touya."

Touya let out a breath he had been holding in and hugged the man tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you… I'll do anything. Anything."

They stood there, hugging each other for a long while.

**XxxX**

_If I am a kind and forgiving person, I would forgive this person._

_I guess I'm not as kind and forgiving as everyone thought I was._

_I hate him so badly…_

_Understanding doesn't mean forgiveness._

_I don't know if I will ever forgive him for what he has done._

_Perhaps it's better that way. _

_At least I won't look at him as though nothing's wrong. As if everything was alright._

_Everything wasn't going to be alright._

_At least when I look at him, with the cold fury burning in my eyes_

_We would both be reminded of our own sins._

_That we feel pain – would only be a reassurance that we're still human, right?_

_It would be better than feeling like a soulless… emotionless doll._

_And while I relish in the feeling of my existence, the cold fire rages away in my heart, burning away what's left._

**XxxX**

**To be continued…**

**Wow… Alright, I'd admit that this wasn't an epic chapter because this is the transition stage. I really wanted to focus on the growing relationship of Sakura and Shaoran and how this will eventually escalate and well… heh, I don't think sappy romances (cough, Twilight with more emotion) suits my style of writing. **

**I tried to take a new approach where there is more inner monologues so that you can see into the hearts of these characters but it's not that great yet. I want to try incorporating the monologues into the actual story itself instead of breaking them up into pure-dialogue and pure-monologue. Well... not going so well yet, mostly because that would involve a change in POV and I haven't had much practice so... if you do have any tips on how to improve the writing, please do leave some comments!**

**Thank you to all that have reviewed and I'm terribly sorry to all those that I have not replied. Up till yesterday, I was just about drowning in a sea of work and now that it has cleared, I feel so much better now! Time to get some real sleep instead of dozing off in class because I stole time off my sleep to finish up bits and pieces here and there… Yay!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 14**

_Days passed._

_A brief interlude of happiness._

_But in the end, all things will come to pass._

_It will all come to an end._

_However, I do believe_

_That our bonds will never end, will never be erased._

_These feelings that we have for each other_

_Are eternal._

**XxxX**

"Touya?"

"Hm? Ah, coming. Is it time to board already?"

"Yes it is. Really, Touya. You've been out of sorts lately."

"Ah… sorry, Yuki."

"It's nothing. Come on. Let's board already."

"Right."

"Touya."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"…No, I should be thanking you, Yuki. Let's go."

"Mm. Sakura's waiting."

**XxxX**

"Come to think of it, you haven't really contacted your family much, ne?"

"Eh?" Sakura looked up from her food.

Naoko frowned and stirred her noodles. "You either always with us, studying, or with Li-kun or Meiling-chan. Come to think of it, we haven't heard you talk much about your onii-chan much either. Have you been keeping in touch?"

Sakura set her chopsticks down gently in front of her and looked down, smiling bitterly. "I… haven't really… been in touch with them."

"Eh?"

Her three friends' faces were stunned. Sakura's eyes widened.

"Did… did I say something wrong?" She asked worriedly, leaning forward.

Yamazaki recovered first. He shook his head and said, "It's not that. We were just… caught off guard."

"Eh? Was it that… bad…?" She looked away, biting her lip.

"No! No, Sakura-chan," Chiharu protested. "Just that… Well, we always saw you as the one that treasured family. To think that you haven't contacted your onii-chan for the past few months… It just isn't like you, Sakura-chan."

"Not like me, huh?" Her green eyes darkened.

"S-sakura?"

"…I didn't say this to your face but… You all do know why I'm here in Shanghai, right?" Sakura turned to her friends, who were all looking at her with apprehensive looks. As if they wanted to hear what she had to say, but at the same time was terrified of what she could say.

"That…" Naoko gripped the table until her knuckles turned white. "We… never really…"

"I'll say it now then. I left because I couldn't stand it back with onii-chan and Yukito-san," Sakura said, standing up slowly. Her fists clenched. "I couldn't stand it in Tomoeda. It was suffocating. With Rika-chan and otou-san's death looming over my head and everything else, Tomoeda was simply… unbearable."

"Oh… Sakura-chan-" Chiharu made to stand up.

"But… but that you all came…" Sakura smiled wearily, eyes shining with tears. "I'm really glad. I'm sorry I took so long to gather the courage but… thank you, you three. I'm really glad you all came."

Chiharu lunged over the table and gave Sakura a big hug.

"You big idiot… You should have said something from the start!" Chiharu scolded, wiping tears from her cheeks hastily.

"Chiharu's right, Sakura-chan," Naoko stood as well. "But… thank you for telling us this." She smiled brightly, taking the girl's hands into hers. "We're here for you."

"Thank… you…"

Sakura smiled, leaning into Chiharu's embrace.

**XxxX**

Sakura walked to class with a small skip to her steps. She opened the back door to the classroom and stepped in, only to find that the previously noisy classroom had gone dead silent the moment she appeared. Her classmates were staring at her and the many pairs of eyes locked onto her unnerved her to no end.

Some began to snicker. A few turned away.

She looked around the classroom and her eyes widened in horror at the chalkboard at the front of the class.

**KINOMOTO SAKURA – DROVE THE PEOPLE AROUND HER TO DEATH OR SUICIDE OR COMATOSE  
WHO WILL BE NEXT?**

Her good mode disappeared instantly and she felt a lump in her throat. This was supposed to have been _over_. They had been scared off by Shaoran. This wasn't – It couldn't –

How on earth did they find out?

She heard a chortle behind her. A hand clasped down on her shoulder and Sakura whirled around, staring at the girl. Gong An Yan smiled, straight white teeth shining as she stalked forward like a predator. Sakura backed away from her warily, gripping the strap of her bag tightly.

"Really, you didn't need to hide anything from us," An Yan purred. She sneered, "Did you forget about me? Of course you didn't forget me. How could you? Not after I gave you a red card."

She thought of retaliating or at least retorting, but thought better against it. She wouldn't stoop down to that level. "…How immature," Sakura breathed out, narrowing her eyes and striding to the front of the classroom to wipe off the board.

"Are you denying anything?"

Sakura stopped short in her tracks.

"You did do it, right? You drove the people around you into death-"

"**That**, is none of your business," Sakura hissed, turning around and glaring at the girl. "You have gone too far."

"So you aren't denying anything!" She looked almost smug, folding her arms and smirking.

Sakura ignored the taunts, wiping the board with the duster.

"Don't think you're accepted in this class," An Yan drawled from behind. "A Japanese know-it-all that sucks up to our Young Master will never be accepted in this class, no, school. The faster you realize it and get the hell out of here, the better."

Sakura wiped away the last trace of the message and set the duster down coldly, turning to the class who was watching the events unfold with hungry, expectant eyes. A pack of vultures, waiting to indulge in the entertainment of a fellow classmate.

How immature indeed.

"…This is disgusting," Sakura murmured, looking around. Her voice was soft, though she was sure that everyone could hear her. "Sitting here, pretending that nothing's wrong when bullying is going on… just because you chose not to see doesn't mean it's not present. You all should wake up as well."

Sakura swept down to her table and sat down, waiting for class to start. As she walked past the aisle, her eyes drifted onto the form of a black-haired girl, who was gripping the edges of her table till her knuckles turned white. Sakura narrowed her green eyes, before sighing and moving on.

She suspected, but it was still too early to be certain of anything.

It would be wrong of her to come to such conclusions without having any evidence.

**XxxX**

SLAM!

"Eriol!" Nakuru burst into Eriol's bedroom at dawn, startling the young sorcerer out of his sleep.

Eriol rubbed his eyes blearily and mumbled, "What is it?"

"Eriol… Y-Yukito and Touya… they…"

"Nakuru, what is it?" Eriol repeated with greater clarity, being more awake now than he was a few second ago.

"They left for Shanghai!" The red-head exclaimed.

"!" Eriol sat up straight on his bed, eyes wide awake and fists bunching up his white sheets. "... But isn't that… where Sakura-chan is right now?"

"Yes! Eriol, Yukito has not shown any interest in Sakura-chan since… _that _card. Touya would rather keep his own sister away from Yukito. This… what do you think it means?"

Eriol gritted his teeth and groaned. His fists balled tightly for a few moments as he deliberated his options and he came to his decision quickly. "…Nakuru, pack up."

"What?"

"We're leaving too. I'll call Kaho to have her arrange for something. We're going to Shanghai." Eriol slipped off the bed and reached for his glasses. There were many things to be done if they were to leave before noon. They couldn't afford another second wasted.

Nakuru thought otherwise as she lunged forward and held Eriol back by his shoulders, yelling, "That's absurd! You're not fully recovered yet!"

Eriol brushed her hand aside and snarled, "And you think I'll sit by and allow my daughter to be **hurt** by her own brother and her ex-crush?"

"…Eriol…"

"Ah… urgh…" The teen groaned and pressed the foot of his palm to his eyes.

"…Was that Fujitaka-san that was speaking?" Nakuru spoke softly.

"…Just go, Nakuru. We need to hurry if we want to catch up."

The Guardian nodded silently and left the room quickly.

There were things to be done.

**XxxX**

Sakura closed her eyes and leant back in her chair. Breathing out deeply, she closed her notebooks, relieved that the day of class was finally over. Class had been relatively peaceful and there had been no other attacks such as the one in the morning.

"Kinomoto."

Sakura turned and opened her eyes, replying softly to the boy, "Yes, Li-kun?"

"…You seem out of it today," He murmured softly, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he leant heavily back in his seat.

Sakura touched her cheeks, surprised. "Really? Why do you think so?"

A faint flush flashed across his cheeks. "Your aura… feels different. More defensive, less happy… as if you're tensing for something. Did you dream of something? That's why you were so uptight all day?"

'_He knows something's wrong but he doesn't know exactly what. That's good. He doesn't need to be involved with this.'_

Sakura shook her head and packed her stuff into her bag. "Mm-mm. It's alright. I just had a bad feeling today."

"…Is it something that you can tell me?"

Sakura's hands paused in the midst of zipping up her bag.

"It's really nothing, Li-kun," Sakura replied with a forced smile. She hoped her tone was convincing enough.

The frown on his face was answer enough.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me. We all have our secrets but-"

"Xiaolang!"

They broke apart quickly as Meiling skipped down the aisle to them. The black headed girl beamed at Shaoran brightly and took his hand enthusiastically.

"M-meiling…"

"The dumpling shop is having a special promotion today! They're releasing a new flavor and only the first 50 customers will get to try the dish! Let's go!" Meiling exclaimed, pulling the boy to his feet. Shaoran was yanked up sharply and his chair clattered to the floor noisily. Both he and Sakura winced.

"Ah…" He glanced uncertainly at Sakura.

Sakura stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Then I'd better get going. I have a lot of studying to do if I want to stay on scholarship. Have fun, Li-kun, Meiling!"

Meiling shot her a look, nodding grateful. Sakura grinned back and waved.

**XxxX**

Sakura walked down the front doors of the school, brushing back her long hair. Thinking back now, she had not exactly been helping Meiling along with her relationship. If anything, she was spending more time alone with Shaoran instead of encouraging him to be with Meiling. She bit her lip in remorse. What kind of friend was she if she couldn't even do a single thing like that for her friend?

When Tomoyo had started dating Eriol, she had gone full speed ahead. Her dates were meticulously planned right down to the exact dress she would wear and the food they would order. She had Eriol's likes down by heart, including his favourite colour and coffee order. She knew what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Her video camera was always on her, though she had substituted it sometime later for a DSLR camera instead to take photos.

Tomoyo was perfect planning out the development of their relationship. She had the initiative. That's why Sakura never had the need to help her on with the relationship.

But Meiling was hesitant. She was conservative. She never badgered Shaoran for dates (though that was probably a good thing). She didn't exactly plan, per say. Everything was on impromptu. She worked best that way.

But she also needed help. Her hesitant ways made it hard for her to approach the object of her crush and ask him outright for a date. Perhaps it had to do with the personality of the crush himself, but Sakura needed to egg him or her along so that they could have the time themselves.

That, she was not used to.

But saying that she wasn't experienced with such matters was no excuse for her negligence. Sakura vowed inwardly that she would play a more active part in helping Meiling in her relationship. Perhaps she could take to him about the raven head more often during their trainings? Or invite her along when they did hand to hand combat?

A familiar presence behind her made her stop short.

Her insides went cold.

There was no mistaking that familiar aura. One, so similar to hers, a dark fiery red that bubbled beneath the surface. The other, a glowing pinkish gold that had been spawned from her own.

She didn't dare turn.

"…Sakura."

She closed her eyes and squeezed them shut.

_Let this be a dream. Let this be a dream. I just imagined that. They aren't here. They aren't here-_

"Sakura… it's you, right?"

Sakura turned slowly and opened her eyes. She willed one last time for it to be an illusion, only to be severely disappointed when the two men appeared before her eyes. Her older brother and his boyfriend stood side by side, with Touya's arm wrapped around Yukito's waist. She barely managed to stop the flinch from appearing on her face.

"…Onii-chan, Yukito-san," She nodded. Her grip on her bag strap tightened. Why were they here? There was no reason for him to leave Tomoeda. It was probably safer there too, considering that Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun were both there. Why, oh why, did they come here of all places?

Yukito stepped forward. Sakura's emerald green eyes turned to him. His silver hair had grown paler and slightly longer than she had last remembered. The calm smile on his face was present, but there was something behind his eyes that didn't quite match his smile. The warmth from long before was still gone, which showed that he still… didn't remember her.

But then again, there was no way that he could.

"Are you… Sakura-chan?" He asked.

Sakura bowed her head and responded softly,"Yes."

What could she say to him? _Yes, I was the one who crushed on you for a good 2-3 years before you forgot all about me and then proceeded to date my brother right in front of my eyes?_

She sealed her mouth shut. She couldn't assure herself that she wouldn't say something unneeded.

"I'm Tsukishiro Yukito. Ah… but then, you already knew that… right?" He held out a hand.

Sakura stared at the outstretch appendage. She turned to Touya coldly and said, "…What's the meaning of this, Onii-chan?"

Touya held up his hands defensively.

"Yuki wanted to know you. He… thought that something was not right and well…" Her older brother looked away.

"Out of the blue?" Her eyebrows furrowed. She was sure that the price for sealing the card was the erasure of their 'bond', and the Cards and Eriol had already confirmed that it was permanent. There was no way for him to regain his memories… So what…

"Yuki fainted during work because of it," Touya replied, folding his arms.

"And this Yuki is currently standing in between the two of you," Yukito interrupted coldly. "I don't appreciate being left out, Touya."

Sakura's eyes turned to him.

"…You don't know me. You are Onii-chan's childhood friend, no more. I… I'm just your boyfriend's little sister. Does that settle it?" Sakura pursed her lips and looked down. _Just take accept it and leave. I can't stand looking at you two anymore. Just leave… Please, I don't care if i throw the chance at you loving me back. Just… go._

"You're lying."

Her eyes snapped up immediately.

"I heard… that you crushed on me. Do you… Are you still… having a crush on me right now?"

Her back was frozen stiff. She could feel her knees trembling. Why was he asking her this of questions? Couldn't he just leave her alone?

"Am I right?" He pressed, smiling hesitantly as though willing her to reply otherwise.

Sakura slowly took a step back.

"…I…"

She squeezed her eyes shut.

What was she to say?

"I…"

"Sakura-chan…"

The moment her name left his lips, she knew.

"I… do."

The smile on Yukito's face dropped instantly.

Touya's face darkened.

Sakura winced, knowing instantly that those words had been the wrong choice. Yet, she couldn't lie to him. Not anymore. Not to the man who could still say her name the way she loved it even though he had completely forgotten about her. She really loved him. She really did… and probably now, still loves him.

Yukito's mouth opened and closed, searching for something to say.

"Sakura, that was-"

"Touya!" Yukito cut him off harshly. Touya shrunk back. Yukito shook his head. "I'll deal with this on my own."

"…Got it…"

Yukito turned back to Sakura and bent down slightly so that he was at her eye level. He mustered a smile at her and said, "…Well… I'm flattered that you like me so much. I'm sorry but I don't quite… I'm not… I don't have much recollection of you, so we're not all that close. I already am dating Touya, so I'm sorry to let you down but I can't return those feelings."

The pang in her chest was harder the second time round. The words seemed to be an icy cold dagger, stabbed right into her heart and wrenched around mercilessly. The cold feeling from those words spread throughout her body until the only thing that was left in her head was the desire to run.

A whimper left her mouth. She took another step back, and another. Yukito raised his hand as though to comfort her but she slapped it away quickly.

_Don't go around pretending you actually care! That only makes it harder for me to forgive you!_

The stinging in her eyes was too painful to ignore. She turned on her heels and ran.

**XxxX**

"-And Wei promised that he'll teach my how to make his wonderful peach buns in the weekends! I know I've already made them before but Wei's buns are just delicious! Sometimes I just wonder if he's really a woman in disguise! His cooking is really too good for me to believe that he's a man! Don't you agree?"

"Hm? Hn…" Shaoran murmured absentmindedly.

Meiling, who had an arm hooked around his, pouted. _He's paying even less attention than before…_

"Would you like to try my buns? I'm sure they'll be amazing after this weekend! I'll be sure to make great buns that will knock everyone off their feet!" Meiling proclaimed, lacing her fingers into his and beaming brightly.

"…Hm…" He looked up, mouth slightly open and a crease in between his eyes.

"Xiaolang?"

"Quiet," He hissed, taking her hand and pulling her towards the school gates.

Meiling stuffed a hand into her mouth to stop more words from pouring out. He was taking her hand! Voluntarily! Where was he bringing her? Somewhere he discovered? That's why he had been disappearing after school? Was this Sakura's way of helping her then? She was so excited!

Shaoran pressed himself against the wall, just off the school gates. Meiling looked at him skeptically, wondering what he was doing.

She heard the reason soon after.

"_I'm Tsukishiro Yukito. Ah… but then, you already knew that… right?" _

"…_What's the meaning of this, Onii-chan?"_

"_Yuki wanted to know you. He… thought that something was not right and well…" _

"_Out of the blue?" _

Meiling's eyes widened as she recognized her friend's voice amongst the three sets of voices speaking in Japanese. She gasped, only to have Shaoran shoot her a sharp look. She hurriedly cupped a hand over her mouth to stop any more outbursts and listened in for more, trying her best to decipher the rapid Japanese speech.

"…_You don't know me. You are Onii-chan's childhood friend, no more. I… I'm just your boyfriend's little sister. Does that settle it?"_

"_You're lying. I heard… that you crushed on me. Do you… Are you still… having a crush on me right now?"_

"_Am I right?" _

"…_I… I…"_

"_Sakura-chan…"_

"_I… do."_

Shaoran's back stiffened at the last two words. Meiling had gotten lost in the rapid Japanese after a while and didn't understand most of what they were saying, but she did catch the conflicted and painful tone in Sakura's voice. Whoever the two men were, they were giving her a hard time. Did she call one of them her older brother?

"…_Well… I'm flattered that you like me so much. I'm sorry but I don't quite… I'm not… I don't have much recollection of you, so we're not all that close. I already am dating Touya, so I'm sorry to let you down but I can't return those feelings."_

Again, she had to strain to catch what exactly they were saying. She should have conversed more with the Japanese students. The awkward conversations in broken Japanese and Mandarin made her head spin but at least it would be worth it had she been able to understand important conversations like now. The tightening of Shaoran's fists said otherwise for him, though. The hard look set on his face and the positively stiff posture of his body showed more than enough of what he thought of the conversation. Whatever they were saying, he didn't approve.

"Xiaolang… what are they saying?" Meiling prodded gently.

Her fiancée had a strange look on his face, as though there was something fighting inside him. As if there was a force hidden inside him that he was trying to suppress. Badly. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Meiling took his hands gently and loosened the stiff fist gently. The inside of his palm were red and she could trace the half-moon gorges that his nails had pressed into his flesh. She caressed them gently, trying her best to relax the boy.

His shoulders remained stiff and tensed.

"…Has Kinomoto said anything… about a crush?"

"Eh?" Meiling's ruby eyes darted up to him.

"…Has she mentioned anything of that sort?"

"Ah… Sakura did mention once… that she had a crush back in Tomoeda. But then-"

He didn't bother to listen for more. He snatched his hand away from hers roughly and turned on his heels.

"Xiaolang!"

"I don't want to hear anymore!" He snapped viciously, striding away quickly.

"Why are you so upset?" She exclaimed, confused.

He threw his hands up and continued to walk off.

"X-xiaolang…"

**XxxX**

"_Mistress…" _

"Go away, Yue," Sakura mumbled, burying her head into her pillow.

"_Sa-… Mistress, please…"_

"I said go away, Yue," She muttered, using her hands to fold up the sides of the pillow so that they blocked out all sound.

"_Yukito-san didn't mean that. He has not gotten his memories back and-"_

"Then why would he come here?"

"_That…"_

"It's not like Touya would bring him to me. For all I know, Nii-chan is perfectly happy with leaving our relationship dangling on my part and completely erased on Yukito-san's side. Yukito-san has no reason to come to me either! He… we barely talked a few sentences since… since that day and…" She stuffed her face into the pillow to the point where she could almost suffocate. "There's no reason… for him to come here. After all this time, when I finally could part from that stifling tension and gain back some semblance of normalcy… Why did he have to come _now_!" Sakura muffled a scream with the pillow.

The key around her neck pulsed.

"_The cards are picking up on your sadness, Saku-… Mistress…"_

"Please… Yue… Please let me be."

"_I can't. Not when you are in so much pain."_

Not when it was his alternate form who had spawned from him that had caused her this pain.

"You should take a leaf from Kero. He has barely spoken anything."

"_That's because everyone counted on me to speak to you. So that you won't be overwhelmed."_

"…Is everyone banding up against me now?"

"_That's not what I meant."_

"…I…" Sakura curled in on herself, hugging the pillow to her face. "…I never wanted for things to turn out this way."

"_We know that."_

"Even when I knew that Yukito-san held Nii-chan… above me in his heart… I never wanted it to be this way."

"_Yes…"_

"Then why… Kami-sama, isn't it bad enough that I can't have the one person I love? You have to rub it in my face? Why… even though I tried so hard… why did it turn out this way? Why do I feel like something's driving through my heart every time I see the one I love? Why… must my feelings for him… hurt so much?" She cried, trying her best to muffle the sounds of her cries with the tear-soaked pillow.

The key glowed once more and Yue released himself from the key, kneeling down beside Sakura. He gently raised her body up from the pillow, setting her in his lap and stroking her hair.

"…" He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.

He had never experienced her grief. He had no advice to give. He had no consolation. He knew nothing of her pain. He had no right to give any words to her.

The most he could do was be by her side.

For a long while, Sakura shed tears.

For the same person, over and over again.

**XxxX**

_Even if we couldn't be what I wanted us to be_

_I thought that at least, you would still hold me in your heart_

_After all, we do share a special bond_

_Your life was created out of the special feelings I had for you_

_But I never required you to return them_

_I thought, that if I could give you happiness_

_If I could give my most precious person the only happiness I could give_

_Then…_

_That would be enough_

_But seeing him having no trace of me in his heart_

_Treating me as though I was a stranger_

_It hurt, really badly_

_For a brief moment, I wondered if I hadn't given you this body, this life_

_Then would I have been happier?_

_But then that caused me even more pain_

_Because I had contemplated erasing you_

_Erasing my most precious person_

_My selfishness knows no bounds_

_I am not a kind person_

_In the end, we have been lead to this state_

_And as I had expected, it was not enough_

_This ugly feeling inside me wanted more than second place_

_And it reared its ugly head when I received less than a place in his heart_

_Ah..._

_To want a love in return, despite knowing that it would never belong to you_

…_It's really selfish, isn't it?_

_Yet at the same time, I wonder_

_Is it a sin to want love?_

**XxxX**

The silver headed man leant his forehead against the window, watching the bustling Chinese city with lidded eyes.

"Yuki, it's time for dinner."

"Coming, Touya," He called back in return, pulling away from the window and turning to the other man who had set two bowls of noodles on the table. He breathed in the warm fragrant smell and smiled, walking over to the table and sitting down.

"Itadakimasu," they chanted together and dug in.

"This is great," Touya mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.

"Manners, Touya," he chided, slurping up the noodles. He moaned at the taste and slurped up more of the piping hot noodles.

"I might just call for seconds," Touya murmured.

"Ah… Why not we have a noodle-eating competition? I know I used to eat a lot in the past. It's because of-"

He stopped short.

Touya had his mouth open, strands of noodles falling from the agape mouth.

Yukito looked at his steaming bowl, a moment of confusion passing through his mind.

"Why… did I eat so much?"

"A-ah… Puberty, perhaps?" Touya waved his chopsticks around nonchalantly, or as nonchalantly as he could.

"Teenagers undergoing puberty don't scarf down enough food to feed an army for a whole week in one sitting," Yukito bit out coldly, setting his chopsticks down. "And why… why now am I eating normal sized meals when I depended on such a large amount of food before?"

"…Puberty?"

His eyes grew cold.

"What are you hiding from me, Touya?" The man stood up, his short and slim stature somehow managing to impose a commanding presence on the bigger man.

Touya set his chopsticks down.

"Yuki," Touya began, lacing his fingers together and bowing his head. "You know that you're the most important person in the world to me, right? And because of that, I want to protect you as much as I can."

Yukito's slight incline of the head told him to go on.

"I… sometimes, there are things that, if said, would hurt you greatly. That is to say, there are things that are better off not said. Knowing that, I… Things are kept from you in order to protect you, Yuki. I want you to understand that," Touya looked up earnestly, chocolate eyes pleading with the man.

Yukito closed his eyes and turned away.

"Keeping things from me… it's not protecting me. It's deceiving! What else have you been keeping from me?"

Touya remained silent.

"Does it have to do with Sakura?"

His shoulders stiffened.

"Is that why you've been trying to keep her away from me?" Yukito knelt down in front of Touya and grabbed his hands, resting his cheek against the man's knees. "Please, Touya… I have to know."

"…If I told you, then everything would change," Touya whispered helplessly, turning away.

"No, Touya, nothing would change," Yukito looked up and turned the man's head to face him, looking straight into his eyes. "You and I won't change. We… this bond between us, was from a long time ago, right? Nothing else would change. So please… tell me what I've been missing out on the past few years. Not knowing a thing about what was going on is just -" Yukito clenched Touya's pants. "I don't want to feel so helpless… I don't want to be the only one that doesn't know a thing."

"…I may not know everything," Touya whispered.

"But you have the general picture, right?"

"…It's not… all that pretty."

"If it was then I'd be amazed at why you kept it from me."

"…Promise that we will still…"

"Yes, Touya."

"…" He leant back against the chair and sighed heavily. "Get comfortable. It's quite a long story."

**XxxX**

"It's a long story."

Nakuru looked up from the apple she was cutting. They were on the plane, first class, of course, and Nakuru was preparing fruits for them to snack on while they travelled. The Guardian pursed her lips.

"The thing about… that man, right?"

Eriol nodded, resting his head on the travel pillow provided. The past few hours had been nothing but hectic for them as they arranged for air tickets, visa and lodgings all in record time. They had made it onto the earliest plane possible but it still took far longer than he had desired.

"…That man, the one who attacked you?" Nakuru pushed the bowl of sliced apples to him. He accepted them with a grateful smile but didn't touch it.

His thumb wandered to his lips where he rested it on the bottom lip. Nakuru couldn't resist a quirk of her lips. His thinking pose was just too adorable. Eriol furrowed his eyebrows and murmured, "I can't be sure. I think it's him but… He belonged to Fujitaka-san's portion of memories. I'm still trying to sift through all the memories and get the whole picture but… the feeling from that time… I can't be wrong. It definitely is him."

"What's his name?" Nakuru asked, taking a slice of apple and popping it into her mouth.

Eriol looked out of the window and into the clouds.

"…Kaoru…"

**XxxX**

The man's eyes snapped open.

"…**Kaoru…"**

He stood slowly, looking around his vast black world. There was not another soul in sight, yet it seemed as though someone had mumbled his name right beside his ear. It sounded so... close

"Clow…" He gripped his yukata right above where his heart would be.

He waited for another word but only silence followed his soft murmur.

"Why… now, of all times…** WHY**?"

His yell caused a tremor in the dark space. His chocolate brown eyes glowed furiously and he stomped a feet on the ground. The world seemed to tremble under his rage and small dark cracks appeared around him.

"…It's too late to turn back. I… I won't forgive you, Clow!"

**XxxX**

Sakura jumped off the roof.

Her Jump card activated at the same time, letting her bounce off air itself and rebound all the way up into the sky. Her swollen red eyes squinted slightly due to the cold wind.

She landed gently on the balcony of an apartment and rapped the windows softly. She didn't need to pound on them. No need to wake up the entire building when he could hear her just fine.

The windows slid open and the boy's head popped out.

She let a small smile grace her lips.

"Shaoran-kun-"

"What do you want, Kinomoto?"

She flinched at the cold tone. Why was he so cold?

"Shaoran-kun… did I wake you up too early?" She asked hesitantly, noting the eyebags under his eyes. He was not wearing his sunglasses. Perhaps because he just woke up?

"I said, what do you want?"

"…I wanted to see you," She answered softly.

"…And so you have. Are you done?" He moved to slide the window shut.

Sakura caught the window as he was trying to close it, wrenching it back open. Shaoran was taken aback by the force she had used and stepped back.

"Why are you being so cold?" She half-yelled, trying to reign in her volume. She was getting too agitated.

Shaoran scowled and turned away.

"Go away."

"Shaoran-kun!"

"Go the hell away! **I don't want to see you**!"

Her breath hitched.

Slowly, she withdrew her hand from the window and stepped back.

"I… I see… So… Li-kun…" Her throat hurt so badly and there was a stinging pain behind her eyes. What was going on with her?

"I said go away!"

She nodded and jumped off the balcony.

Even he didn't want her.

Nothing has changed.

In the end, the only thing she had left was her cards.

There was a stabbing pain in her heart. Her leg which had been injured shortly before throbbed. Despite the pain, she let out a small smile.

What… had she been expecting?

In the end…

Nothing has changed.

**XxxX**

**To Be Continued**

**Whoah, what an ending. I wanted to cut it off earlier but then I knew that I had to leave this chapter with that scene and… there you have it.**

**Can't talk for long because I have quite a lot of exams to study for but I really hope you all would leave a review and tell me what you think of this chapter!**

**And a big thank you to anonymous reviewer James Birdsong! Thank you Mr. Birdsong for all your reviews!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 15**

'_Gomen ne.'_

"_What are you sorry about?"_

'_If it weren't for me… you wouldn't…'_

"…_foolish girl, I do not blame you for what has happened."_

'_But-… I kept thinking… if only I didn't exist, then you wouldn't have had to give up so much.'_

"_What are you talking about? You are as important as any other in my heart. Don't be foolish… and say that you'd rather not exist."_

'_I… But I… have hurt you so much.'_

"_Idiot, you didn't hurt me."_

'_Still…'_

"_I should be the one saying sorry. You are bearing the burden of everything else. I'm sorry I had neglected you until then. But you are part of the deck. It is only natural for me to seal you away like every other card."_

'_Mistress…'_

"_You are needed, Void. So please… don't say that you'd rather not exist. You are important as well."_

'_But the price-'_

"_I know... I know. But blaming yourself for my decision… heh, that isn't making it easier for me to get over it, ne?"_

**XxxX**

Her alarm clock rang as per routine, ringing and blaringly loud tone. Her hand slapped the clock quickly to silence it.

It performed its job in a different way that day. For one, she was already awake. However, it succeeded in snapping her out of the trance she had fallen in while lying awake in her bed.

She blinked slowly and sat up, brushing her long hair back. Her hands wandered up to her eyes where she massaged the growing bags under her tired green eyes. Letting out a silent yawn, she slipped off her bed and wandered to the toilet to wash up.

"Stay in bed today."

"What would I do then? Lie in bed for another ten hours doing nothing?" Sakura muttered softly, combing her hair into a ponytail.

"You're exhausted."

"Some coffee will do the trick."

"You magic depends on your physical condition -"

"**Yue**!"

Her silver headed guardian stopped short, momentarily surprised by the hint of irritation in her voice.

No… not irritation. Frustration.

Sakura gripped the cold white sink, not looking up at the mirror to look at him. Her eyes were focused on the water running down the sink in streams.

A stiff silence ensued.

"…Could you…" Yue looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Yes…Mistress?"

"Could you all… stay in my room for today?"

It wasn't a request. She was just saying it nicely. They had no power over what she did.

"I want to be alone for today. Please."

Yue bowed his head.

"Of course. We understand."

They understood very well. But that didn't mean they liked it.

Sakura smiled gratefully, finally looking up. Yue took a step back. The dull green eyes that were staring at him through the reflection in the mirror seemed to lifeless. Her smile barely touched her eyes, leaving her exhaustion and weariness bare for the world to see.

Yue swore under his breath. He turned away as Sakura got ready for school and settled on the window still, arms folded and a stoic mask plastered on his face.

"I'm leaving," Sakura murmured softly as she opened the door.

"Have a safe trip," Yue murmured back.

She nodded and closed the door, locking it behind her.

Yue instantly turned to the Star Key that had been left on her table. Running a hand over it, he spoke, "Keroberos, come out."

The key glowed briefly and his counterpart emerged from the magical item. The tiger reared his head and unfolded his wings, causing a slight gust of wind to flutter through the room. Its sharp amber eyes glared up at him and the Guardian of the Sun growled.

"Yue, you…"

It raised a paw and brought it down sharply at the Guardian of the Moon's face.

"-ARE NO HELP AT ALL!"

Yue dodged the swipe, narrowly.

"…You've grown a shorter temper in your sleep, Keroberos."

"SHUT UP! WE ALL ENTRUSTED YOU TO KEEP SAKURA SAFE AND HAPPY AND THIS IS WHAT WE GET? Geez, I wonder if it was such a good idea after all," The Sun Guardian gave a huff and settled on the floor, swishing his tail from side to side as though trying to blow away some steam.

Yue folded his arms and stared at his counterpart silently.

"…I didn't manage to help Sakura much. For that, I'm sorry."

"Damn right you should be!"

"But that doesn't mean I won't try."

"That's right- wait, what?" Keroberos turned his head in surprise. "What did you say?"

Yue raised a delicate eyebrow. "That I would try. What did you expect me to say?"

Keroberos sniffed. "…That you should let me take over."

"…"

Kero scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Not a chance."

"HEY!"

"In any case, I need to do something. I trust you to stay behind and guard the cards?"

The tiger scowled. "Do what?"

"Make things right."

"…" Keroberos sighed in resignation. "Even if I said NO, you would still go on anyways, right?" Yue met the beast's fiery gaze steadily with his own cool eyes.

"That is true."

"Damn it, Yue, you're supposed to deny it humbly!"

"I see no reason to lie to you, Keroberos."

"I get it, I get it! Just go and come back quickly!"

Yue nodded. "Thank you."

The Guardian of the Sun scoffed and curled up on the floor.

"Really… Sometimes, I wonder if Clow had made a mistake in distributing some social sense into us. You obviously have much less of that than me."

Yue let the hint of a smirk show on his face. "Obviously not. Perhaps those long hours of playing video games has eroded what little sense you have left. I see no sense in you, be it social or common sense."

"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!"

Yue simply spread his wings and took off into the sky through the window.

**XxxX**

Shaoran slipped his sunglasses on and wore his blazer with a slow pace.

"Xiaolang, you're going to be late for school," Wei chided from the door.

Shaoran ignored him, silently and slowly tying his tie.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hn…" His mouth twitched. "I just… don't feel like going to school today."

His retainer squeezed the teen on his shoulder. "Why not I drive you today?"

**XxxX**

Meiling strolled to school, head dipped slightly.

"Xiaolang… Sakura…" She sighed, pausing in her steps and looking up into the sky. "…Who do I really cherish more?"

She pondered the words for a few moments before scoffing. "Xiaolang, of course. Was that even a question?"

With that in mind, she continued to stroll with her head raised.

And an angel flew across the sky.

"…What the heck was that?" Meiling gaped.

**XxxX**

Yue looked down. Seems like someone had actually seen him, judging by the loud exclamation from the girl.

Yue landed on the roof of a random house and looked back. The black haired girl was gaping at him and she was blinking continuously. Strange, had she not seen him before?

…Perhaps not, judging by her reaction.

Upon further scrutiny, he found her to be the girl that Sakura had befriended and was also the… fiancée to the boy.

"…She'll do," Yue murmured to himself. He looked at the girl straight in the eye and he could see her stiffen when their gazes met. His wings fluttered and he took off into the sky once more.

She would follow him, no doubt.

**XxxX**

"…_Repeat that, would you, Sakura?"_

_The Card Mistress wagged a forefinger at them. "I want to everyone to learn to fly without wings!"_

_Kero frowned. "…But… it's a known fact that you need wings to fly."_

"_You need wings to fly IF you're non-magical. We all have magic, so technically it's possible!" Sakura gave a small grin. "I've ran this theory by Eriol already. Considering that we all can stand on air with no problem, then flying should be alright as well! The only difference is that we'll be using magic to hold us in the air instead of wings and therefore will cost us more energy."_

_Yue folded his arms. "And what exactly do you hope to achieve with this?"_

"_Well, for one… obviously it'll be less obvious if there wasn't a pair of gigantic angle wings in the sky. Secondly… well, it'd be great if we could fly with and without them, right?"_

_Kero raised a fuzzy eyebrow. "That's it?"_

"_That's basically it."_

_Kero and Yue both looked at each other._

"_You first," Kero blurted out, crossing his paws._

_Yue's eyebrow twitched._

"_Are you scared?"_

"_D-don't be silly! I'm just letting you have the glory of going first! That's all!"_

"…_You're scared, aren't you?"_

"_Just shut up and try it out already!"_

_Yue sighed, flapping his wings to put him about half a metre above ground. From there, he retracted his wings and stood in the air for a few moments._

"_That's great, Yue –"_

_At that moment, gravity caught up with the Moon Guardian and he promptly crashed to the floor in a disgruntled heap._

"…"

"…"

"…"

"_Pffftttt…"_

"_BWAHAHAHA!"_

_Sakura brought a fist to her mouth to stifle her laughing._

_Kero chose to let his amusement out loud._

_Yue gave the Sun Guardian a cold glare._

"_S-sorry… That was… Seeing Yue so… it was… pffttt!" Sakura giggled, one hand around her stomach while the other tried to hide her flushed face and smile. "Sorry, Yue!"_

"…_It's nothing," He sat up, brushing dirt off his white robes._

"_Here, take my hand," Sakura held out a hand for him to grasp._

_Yue looked at it, a small smile flashing across his face._

"…_Reminds me of when we first met… During the Final Judgment…"_

"_Is that so?" Sakura grinned at him brightly, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet. "You still remember?"_

I would never forget.

"_Of course. You want to be__ friends__, right?"_

"_That's right!"_

That's right, we're friends. You are my precious **friend**.

As a friend, I would do anything to make you smile again. To smile like that day, when you held out your hands to me and allowed me to embrace a whole new world, a whole new experience, a whole new set of emotions.

For you, anything. Everything.

"_Let's try this again! Kero-chan, your turn!"_

"_E-ehh? Serious?"_

Even if it means going against your wishes.

After all, the true friends are the ones that steer you back onto the right road no matter what, right?

**XxxX**

Sakura slid the door open and her eyes immediately fell onto her desk. Nothing.

…That was it. Nothing.

There was no desk.

"…This prank is overused," Sakura sighed to herself, turning on her heels to search for her missing desk and bumping into someone on the way.

"Ah! Sorry-"

Her eyes darted to the stony expression on his face.

"Li-kun…"

"You're in the way," He grunted, brushing past her and into the classroom.

Sakura clenched a handful of her skirt.

"…Sorry…"

Shaoran ignored her, strolling into the classroom and to his desk.

**XxxX**

"Just what the hell are you?"

"For someone coming from a magical background, even without magic yourself, I would expect more… composure on your part."

"Spare me the crap! How else would you expect me to react after seeing an angel fly through the sky?"

"…With more composure and dignity."

"That's not what I meant!"

Meiling flushed angrily, slamming a fist onto the tree behind her. She glared at the white haired man with those glorious pair of wings and beautiful white robes. He looked like a model from a shojo-fantasy manga that she detested so badly, yet as he was standing before her eyes, she couldn't help but feel… attraction towards the male.

For heaven's sake, that male could possibly not be human!

Wait, scratch that. A human couldn't possibly fly through the sky like that. Dumb thing to say.

"Are you an angel?"

The man nodded, eyes glinting. She took the chance to note that his eyes reminded her of cats – those slit pupils looked really good on him.

"…Really?"

"I was lying."

"Grrh…" She scowled.

"I was modeled after an angel, but I'm not an angel. That explains the wings."

She inclined her head in understanding.

"I don't understand at all."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"Why you-"

"It wasn't a jab towards your intelligence."

"How do you know-"

"I don't have mind reading abilities. You are too open."

"I'll let you know that-"

"If that is the best of the Li Clan, then I seriously fear for their future."

"Would you stop-"

"No. This saves time on meaningless questions."

"Meaningless-"

"…"

"What, no interruption? No retort?"

The man sighed, folding his wings in and vanishing them in a burst of golden light.

"How do you do that?"

"Magic."

"You're a magical being?"

"I believe I've said that before."

"Then who… Don't tell me, Sakura?"

The man nodded. Meiling's eyes widened. This beautiful man was Sakura's?

"My name is Yue, the Guardian of the Moon for the Sakura Cards. Sakura is my mistress."

The Chinese girl swallowed.

"And… why do you have me here today?"

His eyes met hers.

"I need to talk to you about something. About Sakura."

**XxxX**

Sakura knocked on the nurse's door and went in without waiting for a reply.

"Hey, what are you – oh, it's just you."

"Just me?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Yimin shrugged, turning back to her table where several long strips of rice paper were set. A brush was set on a small bowl where bright red ink was poured in. Sakura walked into the room, sitting down on the chair beside Yimin's table and leaning her cheek against the cool table surface.

"Oi, don't you get your facial oil all over my clean table! Really, and I thought that Japanese people were supposed to be more polite!" The nurse scowled, flicking Sakura on the head and causing her to yelp in pain.

Sakura pouted. "I'm feeling… depressed."

"Go jump off a roof."

"Yimin-san!"

"I was joking. Really, you can't take a joke these days, can you?" The nurse picked up her brush and rolled the tip in the red ink. She carefully wrote several characters down the strip of rice paper and gently lifted the paper to the side for it to dry. Satisfied, she moved to the next one.

"Are these… ofuda?"

"Something like that. School nurses don't get paid much so I tend to do other jobs as well. This is just a commission work," Yimin murmured, finishing off a second piece.

Sakura looked at the red ink. "I thought ofuda were traditionally written with ink that is… you know, not squirted out from a bottle?"

"Yeah, and those ofuda that the Little Master uses? They weren't supposed to be drawn with a self-inking brush." Yimin snorted, setting the brush back down.

"Li-kun's ofuda were drawn with a… self-inking brush?"

"Didn't you know?" Yimin quirked an eyebrow. "Meiling insisted on drawing them for him and she practiced for 3 days and 3 nights just to produce an acceptable one. That was, of course, with a self-inking brush since mastering how to use the proper ink and brush would take her another week. Man, she was really persistent those days. To think she was only 8!"

"Eight! Wow," Sakura looked at the ofuda laid out. "But if it's Meiling, then… it would just be ink on paper, right?"

"Well, the symbols themselves contain a form of natural magic. They serve as conductors for the Little Master's magic so the ofuda aren't exactly just pieces of paper," Yimin lifted a strip that had already dried and rolled it up. "But you're right in saying that they are, in reality, just strips of paper without any magic. The strength of his spells would rely on his magic – which is quite a lot, so it shouldn't be any problem."

"Li-kun doesn't make his own ofuda because… he can't see?"

"It's a little hard to draw what you can't see."

"I see…" Sakura gave a small sigh and leant back in her chair.

Yimin rolled up the rest of her work and placed them carefully in a tube. "So… what's on your mind?"

"…I can't lie, can I?"

"No, you can't."

"… I met… my ex-crush yesterday."

Yimin choked on her own spit.

Sakura frowned, looking offended. "Is it that funny?"

"N-no, but to think that you had a boyfriend…" Yimin coughed into her hand.

Sakura scrunched up her face. "We weren't exactly… dating. He was dating my older brother."

Yimin choked again.

"Really! I'll find someone else to talk to!" Sakura scowled and stood up.

"Wait!" Yimin grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her back down. "Sorry, it was just… unexpected. I wasn't expecting you having a crush… and the complex relationship… uh, he was in with… uh, your brother."

Sakura looked down, staring at her hands.

"I thought I was fine, you know… loving him from afar. Because he and Nii-san were both my precious people, so I thought… if they both could be happy, then it was alright for me."

"You're a fool." Sakura looked up angrily. Yimin grabbed her brush and painted a large dot on Sakura's cheek. "If course it wouldn't be enough! What were you thinking, you masochist?"

"Hey!" Sakura scrubbed at the dot, trying to rub it off.

"If you want something, you go for it and snatch it or it'll be gone! Didn't anyone tell you that? That's the way the world is! If you want something, you have to dare to get it!"

"But… I wanted Nii-san and him to both be happy-"

"Will you _stop _trying to be a people person for once and focus on what **you **want?" Yimin painted another dot on Sakura's other cheek.

"Hey!"

"If you keep thinking of others and sacrifice yourself in the process, you're only going to get hurt in the end. There'll be no happy ending for you, you get that? And you know, there're other people other than your dear brother and crush that care about you! People who sacrifice themselves and hurt themselves… hurt the people around them too. Those people are despicable."

Sakura froze.

"Have you ever thought about how your cold, moping face would hurt the people you like? Or how your poor eating habits and depression would affect your friends?"

Sakura touched the two dots on her cheeks.

"…No… No, I didn't," She whispered.

Yimin huffed and folded her arms. "Really! For someone holding an awfully large burden, you're unbelievably stupid!"

"S-stupid?"

"Being strong in mere power isn't enough you know," Yimin tapped her head and her chest. "You need wits – which you have, somewhat. But you also need common sense, and that you do not have. At all. Besides that, you need emotions too! Stand up for yourself for god's sake!"

"I do have emotions!" Sakura argued hotly.

"Apart from angst and despair?"

"No- I mean, I do have emotions other than angst and… despair…" Sakura scowled. "I do feel happiness to, you know. And annoyance," She added as an afterthought.

"Meh!"

"I really do!" Sakura stuck out her tongue.

Yimin watched the girl with a small smile.

"What?" Sakura quirked an eyebrow.

"Feeling more cheerful now?" Yimin asked as she kept her brushes in a pouch.

Sakura touched her face, feeling the muscles that had been stretched in the few short minutes. "…yeah."

"Good. Now get out of my office and go back to class. You can't expect to keep up with your studies if you're cutting class all the time," Yimin muttered. "By the way, where're your Japanese friends?"

"Japanese friends? Oh. They're going for a tour around Shanghai for the last few days of their trip here so they won't be around for the next few days," Sakura said, standing up and smoothing out her skirt. Her hand travelled to her collar where her tie was absent. "After that… they'll be gone the day after they come back. It'll be… quiet without them around."

"Nonsense. Don't you have the Little Master and Meiling too?"

Sakura stiffened.

Yimin looked up suspiciously.

Sakura didn't waste any time in slipping away from the nurse's office.

**XxxX**

The plane finally touched down after several long hours.

Eriol sighed and stretched, feeling his tense muscles groan in protest. He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his bags, immediately making way for the exit.

"Hey, kid, you have to wait-"

Eriol snapped his fingers and they glowed gold for a brief second. The flight attendant immediately went silent, moving to the side to allow him to past. Nakuru sighed and took her bags as well, following Eriol out of the plane before anyone else had even stood up.

"Hurry up, Nakuru. We're in a rush," Eriol muttered, knowing that she would hear him.

"We've already made it on the earliest plane and there likely won't even be a queue at immigration-"

"We're not racing against shortest time we take to get to Sakura! We're racing against Touya and Yukito, who've already beaten us here by days!"

Nakuru shut up.

Eriol sighed, running a hand through his hair. He was weary from the flight and the tension.

"Sorry for snapping. Let's just hurry," He murmured, picking up pace. Nakuru followed without a protest.

**XxxX**

Meiling shook her head.

"I don't… I don't believe you."

Yue raised an eyebrow. She was in denial. She couldn't handle the fact that things were not as she had pictured in her mind. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost. But then again, a child from the Li Clan ought to have had some form of education in the philosophies of life.

"Believe what you want, if what you chose to put your faith in is not the truth," Yue simply said, folding his arms and spreading his white wings. He had done all that he could with this girl. Now it was time to take a step back and see if that was enough.

"But… Sakura…"

"Do you see Sakura as a friend?" Yue questioned.

Meiling was startled by the question.

"Or is she simply a means to an end?"

She flinched. It was working. Good to see that.

"Sakura… I'm not using her!"

"I never said that you were. I was just asking what she was to you."

That's right. What exactly was Sakura to this girl? This girl who has perceived Sakura as a Japanese who had stormed her way into her crush-slash-fiancé's life. He would bet anything that the girl herself was unsure of what exactly Sakura was to her. He wasn't going to allow her to disrupt Sakura's happiness. If she wasn't sure of their friendship, then she doesn't deserve to have it.

"…That…" Her amber eyes were helplessly lost.

Yue flapped his wings and left.

That was enough for the time being. Time to return in case Sakura returned early and found him missing.

**XxxX**

She returned to class after lunch break and sat down quietly at her seat. Shaoran had chosen to stay at his seat during the break and she could hear him give a growl of irritation as she approached. Swallowing, she took out her notebooks and pencil case. She had other things to worry about, such as her grades. If her marks dropped, the scholarship would be revoked and she would be sent back to Tomoeda.

That she wasn't particularly worried about. After all, she would have Naoko, Chiharu and Yamazaki there. No, what she didn't want was to be at such close proximity with Touya, Yukito and Tomoyo everyday. Call herself selfish, but the last thing she wanted was to be under those eyes, eyes that used to know her.

The pen in her hand shook.

She let out a long sigh, setting the pen back down.

Apart from Yimin, was there really anyone who could look at her with eyes that knew about her?

…

Tossing that question aside, she picked her pen back up and worked on her assignments. Right now, all she wanted was to stay in Shanghai, never mind the person who was colder than ice beside her, never mind the girls who were looking at her with loathing and scheming eyes. Right now, with at least one person who knew her and could give the best possible advice… even though it wasn't satisfying, it was the best. She probably wouldn't get anymore even if she wished for it.

"…You… have a thick skin, don't you?"

Sakura turned to Shaoran.

"What do you mean?" She asked back innocently.

"…Were you playing me for a fool all this time?"

"…What do you mean?"

"You have a crush, don't you?"

She was puzzled now.

"What do you mean?"

Shaoran gave an annoyed grunt. "You said it yourself yesterday. That you still… love… that man."

She narrowed her eyes. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"And what if I was?"

Her eyes widened incredulously. That proved it. Apart from having no friends, he also had no social skills. Which stemmed from the other, she didn't know.

"You shouldn't listen in on other's conversations. It's not polite," She told him, returning to her assignment.

"Do you still love him?"

"…And if I still do?"

His forest green aura which was usually so warm, grew a notch colder.

To hell with it all. What Yimin had said to her gave her strength. She wasn't going to sit by and let others beat down on her anymore. She wasn't going to hesitate with her words. No more getting hurt. Even if she was going to be burdened with guilt.

"It's not like he would love me back," Sakura said in a matter-of-fact tone. "He already has someone else. So what if I still crush on him? Nothing would actually come out from it."

"…I don't like it."

"So is that why you so nicely turned my away the night before? Because you didn't like that I had a crush? Well, that was a really nice act of friendship, Li-kun," She rolled her eyes. Treating the painful things this way… felt really good.

Shaoran spluttered. "Can't I?"

"Well, the only other time anyone would do that would be when-" She cut herself short.

"What?"

"Never mind. If you'd excuse me, I actually have work to catch up on," Sakura muttered, turning back to the assignment. It didn't matter. She must be imagining it.

It's common sense. After all, why would anyone love her? When even her crush and best friend couldn't?

**XxxX**

"Is this the place?"

Nakuru glanced at her phone and nodded. "Ming Dao High School. Yeah, that's what Kaho-san said. This is the place."

Eriol glanced at up at the school. "…Huh, to think that Sakura has been attending a Chinese school for the past few months… her Chinese must be good now…"

The bell tolled loudly.

He nodded at his Guardian. "Let's wait for her here, alright?"

**XxxX**

The bell tolled loudly.

With a sigh, Sakura stretched her sore muscles. The day had been long and lessons were intense. She doubted that she would be able to keep up if she slacked off anymore.

A small spark of gold caught her attention. It wasn't really a spark, per say. But it was a golden pulse. A very familiar golden colour. A spark from an aura she never imagined she'd be able to feel again.

"Eriol-kun," She whispered to herself. With haste, she stuffed her belongings into her bag and rushed out of the classroom.

'_Yue! Kero!'_

'_We feel it too. We'll meet you in a secured location. '_

Sakura bolted down the stairs and onto the parade square, sprinting across the grounds to the gates. At the gates, two very familiar faces were there, waiting for her. She let out a bright smile.

"Eriol-kun! Nakuru-chan!"

She ran up to them, hugging Eriol tightly.

"Oof! Sakura, you've gotten faster!" Eriol said jokingly as he hugged her back.

"Eriol-kun… you're alright…"

"Erm… He won't be if you continue to hug him so tightly," Nakuru noted beside them. "And don't I get a hug?"

Sakura immediately loosened her hold, blushing. "Sorry… Nakuru-chan, it's so nice to see you again!" She gave the woman a big hug.

"How have you been, Sakura-chan?" Eriol asked.

"I've been-" She cut herself off, looking behind her to see a stream of students approach them. Sakura took their hands and tugged them away. "Let's go somewhere else, alright?" She leaned towards Eriol and whispered, "Kero-chan and Yue would like to see you too."

Eriol gave her his signature Cheshire cat smile, squeezing her shoulder.

She had never been this happy, this relieved, since… well, since she had turned all 52 Clow Cards into Sakura Cards.

**XxxX**

The Li Clan heir has always had prided for his sensory abilities. Being a blind, it came naturally to him. That's why when Sakura bolted out of the classroom, he tried his hardest to find out why. Did she see someone? But he had claimed the seat beside the window again. She had to stand to see, which she didn't. That meant she had felt someone. But he hadn't felt anyone…

Probably.

So when he concentrated hard, he found Sakura's aura bolting across the school towards two other auras. No, not ordinary people auras. Two very distinct, very powerful, and one rather ancient aura.

_Powerful,_ was the first word that came into his mind when he felt those two incredible presences.

How did Sakura know these two powerful people? People who were in par with her incredible powers? Were they the mentors Sakura talked about when they did that incredible reaching out activity in the forest? Why were they here, of all places? And why now? And why was he caring so damn much when he was supposed to be feeling betrayed?

And why was he feeling betrayed in the first place?

Everything was so damn confusing.

"Xiaolang-"

"What?" He growled.

"X-xiao…"

Oh, it was just Meiling.

"What is it?"

"Do you… Can… Can we talk?"

Shaoran sighed. Sakura and the two others were already leaving. He couldn't follow them. They would notice straight away.

"Sure. Over dumplings." He stood up, adjusting his blazer.

The happy aura of Meiling warned him just what he had gotten himself into, but he quietly followed the girl out of the classroom. It seems that, in the end, the only one who wouldn't betray him was Meiling, as annoying as she might be. She had been the only true constant in his life.

**XxxX**

"Xiaolang, what do you think of us?"

He picked up a piping hot dumpling.

"What do you mean?"

Meiling gave a sigh. Something was on her mind and it weighed heavily on her.

"We… we are part of a Clan that has had magical blood for centuries. We have… responsibilities that are incomprehensible to anyone but the members of our clan. What… do you think of that?"

He shrugged. "It's something we were born with."

"Yes but… You know, someone asked me today… about what Sakura meant to me."

Did she have to bring her up?

"And you know… Xiaolang, aren't we… sort of pitiful too?"

Pitiful? Them? Heirs of the Li Clan?

"Because… look at us. The only people we can actually consider friends are, well, basically… no one. Because we can trust no one with our greatest secret. With… what makes us who we are. There is only other person our age who knows exactly who we are and that is Sakura and… we have no other friends apart from her. I couldn't answer his question this morning but now… Xiaolang… Sakura really… is the only friend we actually have at this moment."

He kept silent.

"We are pitiful. But so is Sakura."

He squeezed the pair of chopsticks in his hands.

"Sakura had people who knew about her too. She trusted someone out of the magical circle with her secret but… that person rejected her for who she was. Compared to what we don't have, what Sakura lost is…"

"Meiling, what exactly are you trying to say?" He growled out.

Meiling was silent for a few moments.

"Sakura is… the first friend I've ever had. My first true friend. Because of that… I'm willing to give up some things for her as well. Because we're friends, and because she would have done the same for me too. No, she had already done it for me."

What did she mean?

"Xiaolang… you like her, don't you?"

The chopsticks in his hand clattered to the ground.

**XxxX**

Touya gazed out of the window. Something… someone… had entered the city.

"What is it, Touya?"

Touya shrugged and turned back to the leeks he was chopping for Yukito.

"Just a feeling…"

There was a touch of familiarity at that presence but…

Nah, it couldn't be.

**XxxX**

**To be Continued…**

**To be honest, I didn't expect to take this long to write another chapter. But… exams happened. And I was up to my neck in work and revision till last week. And when I finally got back to this, it's already been…**

**The mood is drastically different from the last chapter. It might be because of the period in between writing the two chapters… I don't think I quite joined the two moods together. The last chapter was so angsty that I figured I needed to bring a bit of humor into this little not-so-interlude-like-chapter. Did I succeed? I don't know. I was laughing when I wrote the scenes but when I looked back it didn't look funny anymore. Ah, what is wrong with me these days?**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! And please do leave a comment!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 16**

She gritted her teeth in frustration. Something was wrong.

The house had been feeling amiss for a while, as though an invisible haze had blanketed the area. On the surface, it seemed alright but her feelings were telling her otherwise. She knew that if things really did turn bad, even with – _her - _ protection… there was no way she would be able to save anyone. Not her.

She sat down beside him, taking his hand into hers. His skin felt cool under her warm touch. She ran her fingers down his forearm, feeling the smooth, creamy skin on his underarm. His blue veins stood out against the pale skin and she pressed two fingers to the line, feeling the blood pulse under her fingers. He was alive, yet not so at the same time.

Months ago, she was happy that he was still alive. Now, she wasn't sure what to feel anymore.

**XxxX**

Meiling leant against her closed door for a moment before sliding down to the door, legs folded beneath her. Her hands worked to pull the tie off her collar and proceeded to throw them into a corner. She would regret that the next day, but for now, she couldn't be bothered.

With a small chuckle, she ran a hand through her black bangs.

"Really… I never expected him to say something like that."

_He deftly picked up his chopsticks and set them down properly on his bowl._

"_I have no idea what you mean."_

"_Perhaps. Because Xiaolang has never known what it's like to love someone."_

"_I love my family-"_

"_Romantically, Xiaolang."_

"_And you do?"_

_She smiled at him. She smiled a smile that he would never see in his life._

"_Yes, I do. Because when I'm near the person I love, my heart would speed up. I'm filled with an anxiety – what is he thinking, is he liking me right now? I'm nervous, because I don't want my actions to push him away. At the same time, I want to be the person that I am – and be the person that he will love. My stomach is fluttering with butterflies. It's strange. All these emotions… they're just like what I would experience when I'm in fear."_

"…_What a horrible thing."_

"_Isn't it? But you know what's the difference?" She reached over and touched his hand. Just like she had expected, even though his hands were slightly cold from the weather, his touch still sent a warm thrill through her. "Unlike fear… I'm actually happy. Even though I'm feeling jittery and nervous… being with that person really makes me __**happy**__."_

_She squeezed his hand tightly. He looked down at his hand._

"…_Haven't you felt this way before?"_

_He was silent for a few moments. She was almost beginning to fear that she had assumed wrongly, that he had not felt that way towards Sakura before, that he was just treating her as friends. A mix of hope and apprehension filled her._

_Even at this point, she was still selfish._

"_Whether I have or not… means nothing. You're my fiancée. It is not appropriate for me to feel that way to anyone but you. Let's get back to eating," He pulled his hand away._

_Meiling held on._

"_Not even once?"_

"… _I've not felt that way towards Sakura before."_

**Lie.**

_She let out a small chuckle._

"_I see then. Let's… let's get back to eating."_

She could tell when he was lying. She always could. And it was obvious that he had felt **something** for her. But he was denying it now. He was denying a relationship with Sakura, the girl who he had stuck to like glue since she had arrived.

Meiling shuddered. It was frightening how much the dynamics between two people could change within a night.

"I'm… receiving what I've been yearning for… But… why is it… that I'm still not happy?"

There was no answer. Even though she was alone in her room, she had hoped that by some stroke of fate or magic or Clow, that she would receive some sort of answer.

Ah… the pains of being a non-magical person in a magical family. You keep on expecting something to happen to you, but in the end, nothing happens. Nothing ever will.

**XxxX**

_I don't like her. I don't like her. I don't like her._

_Curse her for bringing it up. Curse her for confirming what I was trying to deny._

_Curses!_

**XxxX**

Sakura had led them to the clearing where she and Xiaolang had practiced their sensory abilities. The area was misted slightly with their auras, sprinkling the area with a pink and green glow that only those with magic could see. It brought a pang to her heart but she shoved it aside. The area was quiet, secluded, and the familiar presence brought her comfort.

"It's a beautiful place," Eriol noted.

Sakura sat on a rock and gestured for them to do the same.

"Why are you in Shanghai, Eriol-kun?" She asked as the two got comfortable.

Eriol shot Nakuru a look. She nodded and promptly got up.

"I have an overwhelming urge to try out some deserts! I'll leave you two to talk!"

And with that, she bounded off.

"Well, now that we're alone…" Eriol stood up and walked over to Sakura, kneeling down in front of her. With a pale hand, he cupped her cheek and slid it down, feeling the now paler skin of the Cardmistress. His thumb stroked the apple of her cheek gently. Sakura blushed.

"Eriol-kun, this-"

"Sh…" He hushed. "Let me look at you for a bit more." Sakura slowly raised her eyes to meet his soft blue ones.

"Your eyes… they remind me of…"

Eriol gave a small smile. "It does, doesn't it? After all, we are one and the same right now."

Sakura gripped his wrist, pulling it away slightly. She stared into his eyes, deep, dark eyes that held an immeasurable amount of experience. A sense of familiarity touched her and she squeezed his wrist with a trembling hand.

"…Otou-san…"

Eriol leant in and gave her a warm hug.

"If… If Fujitaka-san was still alive… I'm sure he would be proud of you, Sakura."

Sakura choked back a sob, clutching Eriol's shirt. Her green eyes watered and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Eriol rubbed her back soothingly as she cried.

"…He… His essence in within you but… you two are different people. Otou-san… is gone, right?"

Eriol closed his eyes. He couldn't lie to Sakura.

"…No. Fujitaka-san… has only my memories. Even the half of Clow's powers that I had given to him was left untapped because he didn't have the constitution to handle the magic. He was not able to establish… a magical persona, per say. Thus when we merged… he was swallowed up entirely. It's not like he has disappeared completely but he is unable to surface even if I invited him to."

Sakura blinked back her tears and nodded.

"I… understand."

"But…"

Sakura looked at him. Eriol gave her a small smile.

"Traces of him bleed through. I… have inherited some aspects of him. My love for you, for instance. Right now, I see you as my daughter. I'm not sure if you'd be happy to hear that but-"

Sakura silenced him with a finger to his lip. She swallowed and wiped away the tears from her face.

"It's alright. I've already accepted that… Otou-san was gone. You don't have to try to… pretend to be someone you aren't."

Eriol blinked slowly. "…His personality… really do bleed through. Just before I came to Shanghai, I accidentally snapped and… I said that you were my daughter." Sakura's shocked eyes met his.

"What does this mean?"

Eriol sat down beside her and gazed up at the sky. He covered his eyes with an arm and murmured, "…I may be becoming someone I'm not. I may be losing what makes me Eriol. I may become someone you don't know. I don't even know if I will continue changing. All I know is that this… everything… has affected me. I'm changing from the inside."

Sakura slowly embraced him, letting him rest his head against her shoulder. Eriol leant into her embrace.

"And you know what? You're the first I've spoken to since… this happened and… honestly, I'm scared."

**XxxX**

"Will you come back to Tomoeda?"

"Eh?" Sakura looked at him. They had been walking through the forest, making their way back to civilization. He had popped the question out of the blue after a good ten minutes' walk.

"I know you're not entirely comfortable there but… It is still your home. But… but if you really are reluctant, I can stay with you here until you're ready to return. "

Sakura stopped in her tracks and turned to face. Suspicion flashed across her eyes.

"Eriol-kun… have you told Tomoyo-chan that you've woken up?"

The sheepish look on his face was enough.

"…Why?"

Eriol had a strained look on his face, as though he was struggling to find words to say. After a moment, he sighed and took her hands in his.

"…Eriol-kun?"

"Just… just relax and clear your thoughts," Eriol said softly, closing his eyes. Sakura gave him a questioningly look but obliged, closing her green eyes and calming herself into a meditative trance. Not a moment later, a warm pulse travelled from Eriol's hand to hers. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the warm golden glow that was Eriol's travelling from him to her.

What happened next was a flow of memories. Flashes of Tomoyo, sitting beside a bed. Flashes of Tomoyo, gripping someone's limp hand so tightly her knuckles went white. Flashes of Tomoyo, resting her head on the clean white sheets of someone's bed, late into the night.

Memories of Tomoyo, wasting her life away beside a comatose Eriol.

Sakura pulled away.

"…I couldn't face Tomoyo. She changed so much that I didn't know what I could say to her…" Eriol murmured softly, looking away. Sakura's eyes softened slightly.

"Tomoyo-chan… ever since that incident… she has stayed by your side. I… I couldn't get to her, despite being her best friend. I allowed her to become who she is today. For that, I'm sorry," Sakura gave a deep bow.

"No!" Eriol grabbed her shoulders, pulling her straight. She had tears in her eyes which she desperately tried to hide and only then did Eriol himself realize that he too was shedding tears. He hastily rubbed them away and turned his head to the side, embarrassed to let someone see him cry. He cleared his throat and said, "People change all the time. Tomoyo changing… it's only natural. It's just that… she changed so dramatically that it was frightening. I have never seen a Tomoyo-chan so… obsessed."

At that, Sakura let out a chuckle. "Tomoyo-chan had always had an obsessive tendency. Even when her life was at risk, she still insisted on capturing every second of me battling it out with the cards. Only this time… the target of obsession was you, Eriol." Her eyes dropped to the ground. She had known for a long time that there was only one first place in Tomoyo's heart. She could only afford to have one.

"Still… Tomoyo is your best friend."

Sakura smiled slightly. He had used 'is'.

"And Tomoyo-chan is your girlfriend. I'm not… jealous or anything of that sort…"

"…You aren't?" Eriol looked skeptical.

Sakura gave a small laugh. Memories of the past came flying back to her as she thought back on the Tomoyo she knew, the Tomoyo who was so selfishly selfless.

"Tomoyo-chan is searching and reaching out for her own happiness. I can't be jealous over something like that. And… if it's Eriol-kun, then I'll be at rest. You'd never allow anything to happen to Tomoyo-chan, right? Even at that time…"

She touched his chest, tracing lines down diagonally. He fingered the lines. Under the cloth of his shirt, he could feel the elevated skin – scars from the incident. They would stay with him for life as a constant reminder.

He closed his eyes and fisted his hands.

"… I suppose you're right…"

_-0 – 0 0-0 0 – 00 – 0_

"_Uwah… the Park really is empty!"_

_Eriol chuckled as he trailed behind his excited girlfriend. The dark haired girl twirled around the empty grounds cheerfully, video camera still in her hand. _

"_It really is, isn't it? We're lucky today," He commented casually as he sat down by the sand pit._

"_We are, aren't we?" She laughed happily. Her eyes glinted with mischief. "Hold on for a second… you aren't using some funny spell to keep people away, are you? I know you can do it – you've done it plenty times before."_

_Eriol raised his hands in defense. "I'm not! I just happened to be with a very lucky goddess today. Lady Luck must be shining down on me."_

"_Oh, really?"_

"_I'm not lying. I would never lie to you," Eriol insisted._

_Tomoyo folded her arms and pouted. "If you say so then." She shot him a playful glare and giggled._

_Eriol wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close._

"_Eriol-kun, I-"_

_**-low…**_

_He swerved around, eyes darting around for the source of the voice._

"_Eriol-kun? What's wrong?"_

"_Eh?" He turned his attention back to the girl. Shaking his head, he replied, "It's… nothing. I just thought I heard a voice."_

_Tomoyo giggled again. "Is Lady Luck telling you how to treat your Lucky Goddess well?"_

"_Yes, and she just said that I should give you a kiss-"_

_**-low Reed…**_

_Eriol froze in the midst of moving in for a kiss. Tomoyo's eyes fluttered open after a few moments when she realized that he had yet to kiss her. She furrowed her eyebrows and pinched his cheek._

"_What's wrong? You're acting strange today."_

_Eriol furrowed his eyebrows. He had heard a voice, no doubt. He stood up and looked around. The Park looked normal. It must have been his imagination. The voice had sounded so clear, as though he was right beside him._

"_Eriol- ahhh!"_

"_Tomoyo!" He whipped around to see the girl being dragged into the trees by her ankles._

"_Eriol, help!" She screamed, trashing about. Black tendrils were wrapped around her limbs, and he could see burns on her skin where the tendrils had wrapped around. Her knees and elbows were grazed from being dragged on the ground._

"_No!" His staff was released in the blink of an eye and he waved it sharply. Bolts of lightning shot out of the tip of the staff and struck the black tendrils. The tendrils recoiled before continuing the drag Tomoyo into the trees forcefully. _

"_Yaah!"_

"_Hang on, Tomoyo!" He dashed towards her, reaching out to grasp her hand. _

_She reached out for his hand and they grasped briefly, only for her hand to slip out of his at the last moment. She shrieked as she was dragged into the darkness of the forest, disappearing from sight._

"_No, no, no, no! Not Tomoyo!" Eriol snarled, plunging into the forest. Tomoyo had no magical powers, thus tracking her down via her aura was infinitely harder, especially since he was on the move and had little concentration to spare. The black tendrils that had took her, however, was abundant in dark magic which stood out from the other life signatures in the forest. He narrowed his eyes and charged towards the source._

"_Why didn't I sense such an aura before? Such dark magic… even if it was in China, I would have noticed!" He cursed inwardly. Such dark magic would taint Tomoeda – much effort would be needed to purify the town. He wanted to strangle the person who had dared to utilize such magic – and use it on Tomoyo._

_The black aura had stopped moving. Eriol quickly moved in on the location, brandishing his staff. The black tendrils were wrapped around Tomoyo, devouring her. With a swift swipe, he sent hundreds of golden arrows at the black mass. It struck and it let out a high pitched cry before fading into the air, leaving a smoky black trace. _

"_Tomoyo!" He knelt down beside the girl. He shook her shoulder. "Tomoyo! Open your eyes!"_

_The girl stirred, opening her eyes slightly. Eriol let out a deep sigh of relief. He picked her up bridal style, balancing his staff on one hand. They weren't out of danger yet. He needed to get her to a safe place._

"_E… Eriol-kun…"_

"_What is it?" He asked softly as he dashed through the forest._

"…_You… are not Clow…"_

_She was acting weird. Hadn't they gone through this already, long before?_

"_I'm not Clow. I am the reincarnation of him, but I'm not Clow."_

"…_You're not Clow…" He could feel her eyes on him. He looked down and was momentarily shocked by the darkness in her eyes._

"…_Tomoyo, what happe-"_

_He was cut off by a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw three long gashes on his chest. He dropped to his knees, dropping the girl in his arms at the same time. Tomoyo rolled onto the ground, one of her hands covered in black mass, forming the shape of a dark claw. He clutched his bleeding wounds in disbelief. How… surely he would have… but he had casted protection on Tomoyo! How did…_

"_How dare you… you, who holds the same magic as him… how dare you!" The voice that came out form Tomoyo's mouth belonged not to Tomoyo, but of an older man. It was a voice filled to the brim with hate, disgust. Eriol reached for Tomoyo's hand, only for his to go right through hers._

"_Wha-… how…" he mumbled out, dizzy from the blood loss. Did his hand miss? But he was sure her hand was there- _

_The forest around his faded away. He found himself on sandy ground. He looked around, vision blurring already. He registered the hem of a kimono approaching him and he looked up._

_Those brown eyes were emitting fierce repulsion. The man had black mass wrapped around him and they extended on one of his arms to form a claw. So it wasn't Tomoyo who had attacked him, it was this man-_

_An Illusion._

"_Who… are you…"_

_His vision darkened and he could no longer find the strength to stay upright._

"_-you… Remember…"_

_What did he say? He couldn't make out anything._

_Tomoyo? Where was Tomoyo? If it was an illusion, then she might be okay. _

_Someone…_

_Help… me…_

_Help…_

_Tomoyo…_

**XxxX**

He sat down on the balcony, feeling the cool breeze. His body fell into the familiar meditative posture and he exhaled slowly and deeply.

"Young Master, there's a call for you."

He turned towards the source of the voice and nodded, reaching a hand out. A phone was placed in his hand and he placed it at his ear.

"Yes?"

"_Xiaolang."_

His posture became stiffer. "Mother. Why have you called?"

"…_You're almost 16, aren't you?"_

"Surely you already know that, Mother. But yes, I will be 16 by the end of the year."

"_Therefore you know what needs to be done."_

"…Of course. But…"

"_What is the problem, my son?"_

He gripped the phone tightly, before realizing that the phone in his hands was very breakable. He loosened his grip immediately.

"... The Elders…"

"_What about them?"_

"They don't approve of me. Entirely."

"…_Xiaolang, are you having doubts about becoming the next Clan Head?"_

"It's not that! It's just that… even if I did, would they still accept me…"

"_My son," _There was a sigh on the other end of the line. He cringed. His mother sighed again before continuing, _"While it may be said that it is the people who makes the Leader who he is, do you really think that every leader in the world is accepted by every one of his subjects when he first steps onto the pedestal?"_

He thought it over.

"_Xiaolang, do you think you can become a good Clan Head?"_

"…Yes."

"_Very well. Then accept the title and prove it."_

He smiled slightly. His mother, his most respected person in his dark world – it wasn't because she singlehandedly managed the Li Clan for years after his father's death. She was a formidable person in her own rights as well.

"…Thank you, Mother."

"_And while we're on that topic… tell me, son, who are you planning to choose as your betrothed?"_

He was silent for a moment.

"_Xiaolang?"_

He cleared his throat. "Shouldn't that… be obvious? I have not broken off my engagement with Meiling, have I?"

"_Indeed…"_

"Then it's clear… who I will choose."

"…_You mean, you're choosing Meiling?"_

He clenched his jaw. "…Yes, Mother."

There was a brief bout of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a soft sigh.

"_It seems that I have called at an inopportune time. I will call you back regarding this matter at a later date."_

Did he say something wrong?

"_And my son… Please take this time to reevaluate the things in life. This is my lesson to you. If you don't reach out to grab things… those things will never become yours."_

The line went dead. Shaoran set the phone down on the floor.

"Young Master?"

"…Wei." Shaoran turned to face him. "What did Mother mean by reaching out to… grab things?"

Wei was silent for a few moments. Shaoran sighed and turned away. It seemed that even Wei couldn't decipher his mother's cryptic words.

"Young Master… I think… that Lady Yelan wants you to learn to reach for your own happiness instead of letting the tides take you to wherever may be."

Shaoran pondered on those words.

"Mother is making no sense."

"Is she? Perhaps she has foreseen your situation. I wouldn't doubt that she knows what's best for you."

"… Is that so…?"

**XxxX**

"So tell me more about what's been happening around here," Eriol said as they sat down in a warm dumpling shop.

Sakura stripped off her blazer and set it down on the empty stool beside her.

"Well… I've been attending classes."

"You've learnt Mandarin? That's impressive," he commented, taking a look at the menu.

Sakura blushed. "N-not really… Um, I'll go for the shrimp dumplings. What about you?"

Eriol glanced at the menu. "The pork and vegetable ones look good. I'll have that."

Sakura nodded and jotted down the order on the order form, passing it to a waitress.

"China is a rather dangerous place. The land is abundant in natural energy and there is a small community of sorcerers. I was worried for you when I heard you moved here."

Sakura gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry for worrying you. But I've been training a lot and besides, I have Kero-chan and Yue with me as well."

"Have you made contact?"

Sakura accepted a teapot from a waitress and took a peek in it to check the color. She set it back down on the table to brew slightly longer and turned back to Eriol. "With the sorcerer community? Not exactly… but I've met Lady Yelan from the Li Clan in Hong Kong."

"Ah, Yelan, is it?" Eriol laced his fingers together. "I remember her to be a formidable woman."

"She is. Very."

"And her children?"

"She has four daughters and a son. They seem quite nice…"

Eriol smiled widely. "My cute little descendant?"

"Hoe? Descendant?"

"The Li Clan heir."

Sakura looked scandalized. "Li-kun is your descendant?"

Eriol gave her a grin and placed a finger to his lip, reminding her to keep her voice down. Sakura blushed but gave him a look that insisted he answer her question.

"Well, Clow is one of the LI Clan's ancestors, after all. He was originally based in China but moved to Japan later with his friend. The reason why the Li Clan has strong sorcerers is because they're magical descendants of Clow. Which you are, by the way," Eriol added as a side note.

"Because of the card, right?"

"Yes and because Fujitaka-san was also a reincarnation of Clow."

The steaming dumplings arrived and the plates were set down on the table. Sakura paid the bill swiftly and they tucked into the meal straight away.

Eriol gave an appreciative hum as he chewed. "That hit the spot. I haven't eaten since we touched down."

Sakura gave him a glare. "Haven't you been taking care of yourself? Eating is important too!"

Eriol gave her a wan smile.

"I could say the same for you. You've lost weight."

Sakura blushed and looked down.

"Haven't I reminded you many times already? A sorcerer's body-"

"Is the conduit for one's magic. The strength of one's magic during casting is dependent on the physical condition of the sorcerer."

"Someone's been paying attention," he praised.

Sakura grinned. "Of course."

"And someone's still ridiculously stubborn to not take good, sensible advice."

She flushed, staring at her dumplings.

"Sakura."

Sakura looked down sheepishly. She half expected Eriol to be angry – expressing it through the cold fury she had only witnessed once before when she had attempted the ritual to separate Yue and Yukito without his consent.

Instead, he was smiling gently at her. His warm, gentle blue eyes reminded so much of…

"…I love you, Sakura. So… Please don't do this to yourself. Let me help you."

She felt her eyes tear up. She let them drip onto her lap. This wasn't just Eriol speaking. This tone… this way of speaking… even if it was coming from Eriol's mouth, she knew better. In fact, it was much more familiar than she would have liked it.

"Mm… I understand. Thank you. And I… I love you too."

The elated smile from her words was flashed for a moment before it was overtaken by a shocked look. Eriol covered his mouth, his look disbelieving. He looked at her with worried eyes that were slowly starting to tear up.

Sakura took his hands, not daring to look into his eyes. She let out words that she herself didn't completely believe.

"Eriol-kun… Eriol-kun will always be Eriol-kun. No matter what. Everything will be alright."

He nodded mutely, letting a lone tear fall from his eyes.

Their meal sat in between them, stone cold and long forgotten.

**XxxX**

"**Clow… is… here…"**

He stared at the magical circle.

"**No… he's not Clow. He's just… a fool that dares…"**

His trembling hands clenched at the dark, empty space. His dark, solitary world… was starting to fall apart.

"**I need to go back there…"**

Just one last time… just one more time. The next time would be the last – he would destroy the Clow Cards and the imposter in one swoop.

**XxxX**

**Oh gosh, I'm so sorry this took forever. I have no idea why this dragged on for so long even though I've been relatively free for the past month. Free as in I didn't have to study or do homework, other than the self imposed ones. This chapter is a bit shorter than the others but I think if I wanted to fill in the extra 1K words to meet the standard, I would take another week or so.**

**I'm terribly sorry!**

**This is very Eriol-centric, since Eriol needs more love than others. He's always been my favourite of the series and he still is. One of my gripes about TRC was that they didn't feature Eriol. The other was the sunset ending.**

**Thanks for reading and sorry if I haven't been replying to reviews. I've been training everyday so there are days when I'm so tired all I want to do is sleep... Right now, I'm still trying to get rid of the fatigue of staying up for two days during a chalet with only 10-minute naps in between. I value my sleep and the past two days was just torture.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 17**

_She dreamt._

_She dreamt she was in a dark world, devoid of senses._

_She reached out to the darkness, but touched nothing but emptiness. She called out, but heard only her voice in the vast darkness. She took a step forward, but felt as though she was stepping on nothingness._

_She knew what this was. _

"…_Why are you doing this?"_

_She spoke softly, for there was no real need to raise her voice. They would hear, surely._

_Sure enough, a short moment later, the dark space warped and out stepped a young girl, dressed in ceremonial robes. The girl was much shorter than she was – more than a head shorter. She was extremely pale and it was further accentuated by her pale, dull robes of pearl white and pale blue. The girl looked up with her blue eyes that were glazed over. They were empty – just like her name suggested._

"…_Because you've been so out of touch… this was the only way." The crooked smile on the girl's face was out of place._

_Sakura folded her arms. "Is that what the rest thinks, Void?"_

_She nodded._

"_You communicate with Yue-sama and Keroberos-sama but… it's been a while since you've talked directly with us. Especially since you sealed us away." _

_Sakura sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I've been neglecting my duties. I apologise-"_

"_No!"_

"_No?"_

_She was genuinely confused now._

"_We… we only want to be your friends," Void whispered, wringing her hands. _

_Friends. That was the request she herself made._

"_Are we not friends? Friends that you can trust with your secrets? Friends to turn to when you're troubled? We… we want to be by your side. Please don't shut us out."_

_She had been shutting them out. For the sake of protecting them, she reasoned. They wouldn't be hunted down if they weren't there. If she sealed them all away, no one could touch them. She was protecting them._

"_Let us protect you too."_

_Did she give them the chance? Yes, she did. During the confrontation with Kaoru, she relied on their powers._

_But she had been directing them, using them. _

_Is that what a Card Mistress supposed to do? She didn't know anymore._

"…_Have you trapped me in Void's powers?"_

_Void pursed her lips at the change of topic. "…Despite what you might think, Void is the ultimate defense. The combined strength of all the cards, used to extract one's presence from reality – nothing can touch it. It's a dimension of its own."_

"_At the same time, nothing can be done."_

"_It is the ultimate defense. Some elements must be compromised in order to achieve full protection."_

_Sakura's eyes glinted._

"_Tell me more about this… dimension. Tell me everything you know."_

_Void let out a smile._

"_I knew you'd say that."_

**XxxX**

Sakura opened her eyes blearily. She drew an arm across her eyes, blocking out the morning sunlight.

'_Morning sunlight?'_

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up hastily. A quick glance at the brightly lit room informed her that it was indeed morning. She reached for her watch and read the time. 7.30am. She had slept for a good 8 hours.

"Had a good sleep?"

She looked up, seeing the false form of her Guardian of the Sun floating above her. She stared at the winged plush toy for a moment before snatching it out of the air and pulling its cheeks.

"O-ow! Sakura!"

"…It's really Kero-chan. For a moment, I thought it was an illusion."

"What does that mean? That's being mean, Sakura!" The plush toy wrenched itself out of Sakura's hands, rubbing its cheeks vigorously.

"What are you doing out of the staff?"

"Clo – No, Eriol… He released us all last night and sent you to bed." The answer came from a familiar, velvety voice.

"You too, Yue?" Sakura sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"…What was that supposed to mean?"

"See? That's what I meant! Seems like having a good night's sleep made you even crankier!"

Sakura chuckled, pulling Kero out of the air by the tail, ignoring its indignant squeal and hugging it to her chest. Kero gave the best scowl it could but hugged her back.

"How was he able to do it? If even Eriol can unseal you all…" Sakura hugged Kero tightly, squishing it and causing the Guardian to let out a squawk.

Yue moved forward, sitting down on the chair and bringing his legs up to rest on the edge of the chair. "Because Eriol has the powers of our former master, we're connected… in a way. Connected beings can call each other out of the seal, like how I can summon Kero from the seal." He noted the sharp glare Sakura sent his way and ducked his head behind is knees, adding, "You don't have to worry about others unsealing us though. Eriol might have unsealed us, but your initial protection still remains. We can go back to the seal if we want."

Sakura pulled on Kero's tail, twirling it around her finger and tugging it in all directions.

"Still… To think he would be this meddlesome. He must have foreseen something," Sakura pondered, swinging the plush toy in her hands around. "But still… this is just way too meddlesome for my liking. Is he trying to tell me something?"

Kero mumbled something inaudible.

"What is it, Kero-chan?" Sakura asked, tugging at its cheeks to open the mouth up wide.

"SCHEFWK-CHEEITHARR!"

"…What?"

The sides of Yue's mouth twitched.

"IFSHCKMEGUUHHH!"

"Oh dear. This must be what Eriol-kun meant. Long termed sealing seems to have done a toll on Kero-chan's speech," Sakura sighed, releasing the plush toy's cheeks and letting them snap back into shape with a resounding snap.

"SAKURA!"

"Yes, Kero-chan?" She replied innocently, cocking her head to the side and smiling gently.

"THAT WAS TOO MUCH! I THOUGHT YOU HAD MORE LOVE FOR ME THAN THAT!" The plush toy bawled, tears rolling off its cheek.

"Kero-chan."

"Wha-" Something round was stuffed into its mouth. "Mff – oomph! That… that was good!"

Sakura pulled out a card from her sleeve and waved it, grinning. The card had the words "The Sweet" proudly displayed on the front and the cheerful girl in the picture was waving the wand in her hand. She kissed the card and it glowed gently. A small burst of magic later, a giant caramel custard pudding appeared on the table, topped with a large dollop of whipped cream.

Kero's jaw dropped.

"This isn't… this isn't a dream… is it?"

Sakura's eyes glittered. "Would you like it to be? I can make it be, you know-"

"No! I'm digging in!" Kero plunged into the pudding with its bare paws and scooped it into his mouth with gusto. From the chair, Yue sighed in exasperation. Sakura smiled and nodded towards the window. Yue nodded, standing up and opening the window.

"Kero-chan," Sakura poked the plush toy's head. Kero turned its head, mouth stuffed with pudding. Stifling back a chuckle, she pointed to the table where a large chocolate cake was laid. Kero's jaw dropped and the mushy pudding in his mouth fell out.

"I'm going out for a bit. Stay behind and watch the cards, okay?"

Kero nodded mutely, staring at the cake. The long weeks without sweets had caused his mind to go on overload at the sight of the chocolate.

"….Chocolate… cake…"

The toy plunged face first into the slab of chocolatey goodness.

**XxxX**

Yue folded his arms, retracting his wings to make himself less conspicuous. The breeze blew his long silvery hair around and his light robes fluttered.

The door to the roof opened and Sakura slipped onto the roof, closing the door and placing the 'LOCK' card over the door. The card glowed and stuck to the door, sealing it with an invisible barrier. She smiled in satisfaction, moving over to stand beside him at the parapet.

"So, what do you need to talk to me about that you couldn't do in front of Keroberos?"

Sakura folded her arms, leaning against the concrete barrier and looking out at the school grounds.

"It's not that I didn't want Kero-chan to be left out. But I wanted to talk to you in private. Since it's related to you… kind of…" Sakura turned to face him. "I'm sure you know by now. Nii-san and… Yukito-san… are in Shanghai."

Yue nodded his head. Even now, he could feel the familiar presence of Kinomoto Touya in the city. A presence he never concealed. Or rather, never learnt to conceal. It stuck out like a sore thumb. Painfully so.

"…Are you concerned?"

"…Yes. Kaoru as been appearing in this area. While it's safe to say that he can access us no matter where we are… I'm assuming that the price will be higher at certain places."

"Price?" His eyes narrowed.

She nodded. "I figured this out with Shao-… Li-kun… a while back. Whenever Kaoru appeared, he would take something from us. The first time Kaoru accessed the real world – well, the first that we know of – was when Li-kun was a kid. That was in Hong Kong, where the Li Clan main branch is. That time, he killed Li-kun's father and blinded LI-kun."

"So that kid was also a victim in this, huh?"

Sakura nodded quietly. "…He wants revenge."

"…As do I. For everything he's done to you," Yue said, voice low and quiet.

"…Moving on," Sakura brushed back her long hair. "The next time… was probably in Rika's case."

"Rika?"

"Mm. The teacher – Yamagishi-sensei – was probably… not an actual person."

The Guardian brought his hand up to is chin, contemplating the information silently.

"So… Kaoru came to Japan to put this… fake existence… into Tomoeda. Into your lives. But what was the price?"

Her mouth twitched. "…Need you ask? Terada-sensei and Rika, of course."

"Interesting. So the price need not be paid on the spot? That could be dangerous." If Kaoru need not pay the price straight away, he could plant seeds in reality and collect the price at later dates. Who knows what he had already done in their lives.

"That might be true. But from what we know, Kaoru did not reappear until after Rika's death. I was curious. If Kaoru-san is targeting me, and the cards, then why did he wait until Eriol and I were significantly stronger in magic to strike?" The odd time lapse between Rika's spiral and Eriol's attack was confusing. Kaoru could most probably look into their world, seeing as that skill was something most sorcerers could use, especially one that was so old. It was coincidentally Eriol – and Clow's – favourite skill and past time. But Kaoru had to know for sure that they were training. Why then…

"So, unless the price for breeching reality is paid, it is safe to say that he's impaired." Yue concluded.

Sakura nodded. "We don't know that for sure, of course. Inter dimensional affairs are not my forte, but I think we can conclude that for the time being. The next time he appeared, of course, was during the attack on Eriol. At that time, he severely injured Eriol to the point where he was at near death."

"But the price is inconsistent." Yue pointed out. "In Rika's case, he took two lives. But for Eriol…"

How were they to explain the inconsistencies?

"Well… Tou-san did pass away… and Eriol-kun was put into a coma…" Sakura pondered. Indeed, it made little sense.

"Maybe it was like Rika's case. Maybe he was waiting to collect the price. That would explain the other time lapse."

"True. Kaoru didn't reappear until just before Eriol woke up. That was when he attacked Shaoran-kun and I. But if that's true, then what exactly did he collect?" Sakura folded her arms. It took Kaoru over a year to reappear. That was a very long time…

"…_Time_…"

"What?"

Yue furrowed his eyebrows. "He took… Eriol's time. And when he had collected enough, he could finally leave."

"Time… So the price need not be physical? …The next time he attacked was on Shaoran-kun and I. That time… He controlled Shaoran-kun and attacked me. If it weren't for Mizuki-sensei, I might have died." Sakura clutched her thigh. "…He took my right leg."

Yue glanced down. "I don't understand."

"I didn't either. But it's becoming clearer. Kaoru's remuneration is to destroy something. He destroyed Rika and Terada-sensei's lives. He injured Eriol-kun and took Tou-san's life and at the same time ruined Eriol-kun's youth. This time… he injured my leg." Sakura folded her arms. "If that's so, then every time he breeches this world, he's required to take something away from us."

"Like injuring you." His tone was cold. He was disdained at the cruel price.

"Yes. Which brings us to another problem. I think Kaoru appeared once more, in Japan, after my attack." The situation was strange. Too strange. Why else would he be here?

"What?" Yue's voice was sharp. "But… why? You were not in Japan…"

"I wasn't. But Nii-san and Yukito-san were."

His face became stony.

"But… if that's so… why was he able to breech this world again so quickly? He only took a leg…"

Sakura gripped her thigh again. Even now, she could still feel the phantom pain running through her. "That's right. Which leads me to another conclusion. The prices paid in Japan are much more than what he paid he breech Shanghai. Which probably means-"

"His dimension is based in Shanghai." Yue finished.

They stood in stark silence on the room with the winds billowing about them.

"That… That's ridiculous. You mean to say, for the past few months, Kaoru has been right under our nose?" Yue scowled. He was indignant and his pride was wounded. To think he had let the culprit behind this series of events wander freely for the past few months…

Sakura chuckled slightly, sensing Yue's line of thought. "Well, even if we did know, we wouldn't have been able to reach him. The alternate dimension is a closed off world. We wouldn't have been able to reach him while he was tucked away safely in there." Yue's scowl didn't ease and Sakura found herself giggling.

"And so? What should we do now? Or rather, what did you want me to do that required only my presence?"

Sakura smiled slightly. Yue had caught on quickly.

"We know that Kaoru has probably appeared in Tomoeda. But the question is, why? Nii-san and Yukito-san… are currently in Shanghai. I need you to go find out what he did over there. What did he do that madethem come over to China." Sakura turned to face him. "I… You're the only one I trust to be able to do this."

"Because I share a bond with Yukito?"

"Because Nii-san would probably have a soft spot for you. As long as it's for Yukito-san's own good, he would do anything. And besides, he hates Kero-chan," Sakura grinned at the last part. Yue's lips twitched slightly. He knew exactly what she meant.

"I see." Yue took a step back. "I shall leave now, then." He rose into the air, robes billowing about in the wind.

Sakura's eyes widened. "You can fly without wings? But the last time…" She blushed upon remembering Yue's disheveled appearance at the failed attempt to fly without wings.

"…I practiced," Yue said.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, but relaxed her features into a smile.

"Great job. I'm proud of you."

He flushed at the word, turning away swiftly. "I shall be back by nightfall." With that, he flew off in the direction of the city.

"…Heh… To think Yue would do something like that…" Sakura giggled, calling back the Lock card from the door. "He's not as cold as he wants others to think he is. Much like… a _tsundere_ brother, no?"

**XxxX**

Eriol was waiting by the gates of the school. It was a Saturday and the students were in school for only a half day. The day was steadily approaching noon, which meant that Sakura was due to be out of class in minutes.

He was patient. He had been sleeping for the past year or so and was now feeling a sense of urgency to catch up with what he had missed. But he would be patient and wait. He was inherently patient and would continue to do so.

_He just wanted to hold onto characteristics he knew was his._

The bell tolled loudly. Eriol opened his deep blue eyes, glancing at the foyer where students were starting to stream out. Young, cheerful students that had not a care in the world. Eriol gave a nod of approval. It was good for Sakura to be in an environment where no one knew about her past. Where no one would give her pitying glances. Where there was no trace of their failure hanging in their faces.

A small spark of a deep green aura caught his interest. He glanced up to look at the foyer, where a young boy of Sakura's age was standing, facing his direction. He was struggling to reign in his presence which was bubbling with disbelief and shock. He made great strides towards Eriol's direction, only to be stopped by a girl behind him. Eriol observed the other girl. She had no magical aura whatsoever, but her facial features reminded him of someone…

Ah, so those were the Li Clan kids he had heard about.

Grinning, he let a trickle of his magic flow out. The presence of magic shocked the boy, who immediately turned to Eriol's direction. Eriol looked at the boy, disturbed by the lack of life force behind those black sunglasses. The eyes contained a substantial amount of magic for a sorcerer and were a powerful natural conduit for magic. The lack of eyes would signify that he had lost a portion of his magic. And if sources were correct, then that kid would be the next head of the Li Clan.

He smirked. It would be interesting to see his worth.

The boy pushed the girl aside, taking great strides to Eriol. He stopped just an arm's length away, facing him with a stony expression. Eriol folded his arms and leant comfortably against the wall. He allowed his relaxed aura to stream out in a thin, refined flow. His grasp on his magic unnerved the boy visibly, who clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Who the hell are you?" He growled out in fluent mandarin.

Eriol smirked slightly. Now there was one way to infuriate the boy.

"**I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't quite understand you," **He replied in fluent, British accented English.

The boy was stumped for a moment, not quite taking in the foreign language, but he pulled himself together and snarled out in broken, awkward English, "**Who… you are? Say… quick to me.**"

He suppressed the laughter that was threatening to burst out of his chest. It was just too amusing. He plastered on a poker face and replied, "**I'm assuming that you are asking for my name. Though, with that kind of tone, I'm unsure if it would be wise to divulge my name. Names are important, after all. I'm not sure if I want to give my name to someone as hostile as you.**"

He could see the mental cogs working in the boy's head working on overtime, trying desperately to decipher and translate the English into some for he understood. Eriol willed himself to tuck the laughter in, saving it for a time when the satisfaction would be the greatest.

"**You… magic."**

Ah, this boy was quick.

"**Magic? Whatever do you mean? You mean, like Harry Potter? Waving wands and brewing potions in cauldrons? Oh gosh, I would have never pegged someone as grumpy and uptight to be such a fan of Harry Potter. Tell me, have you read all the books? Oh, I know. They must have translated the books to Chinese for you people. Brilliant, brilliant! It's gratifying to know that a great, epic novel is being spread to the unfortunate who have no grasp on English," **Eriol wiped a fake tear from the corner of his eyes. A tear of mirth, not joy.

The boy was scowling heavily.

The approach of a pink aura told him that playtime was over. Eriol strode past the fuming boy to meet Sakura, who was looking between them with inquiring eyes. Deciding to play one last move, he stepped forward and hugged her.

Sakura let out a soft yelp, jerking in surprise. He made his point though, and the Li boy seemed positively livid.

"Sakura, I've been waiting for you. Come, let's go have some dumplings," Eriol offered a hand to Sakura. Her green eyes narrowed slightly, sensing one of his antics at play again, before sighing and taking his hand.

"Very well. Since you enjoy dumplings so much, we might as well indulge you while you're here," Her tone was exasperated, but not irritated. He felt a swell of warmth in his heart.

He eyed the boy, whose unseeing eyes seemed to be fixated on Sakura. His mouth was hanging open in what seemed to be disbelief, and his knuckles were white.

"Let's go. I have much to talk to you about." He tugged at her hand at they left. He smirked as they walked away, leaving the Li boy to fume.

Sakura looked over her shoulder worriedly. "What's going on, Eriol? What did you do to Li-kun?"

Eriol simply gave a short laugh. "Just getting to know my cute little descendant. And I realized that something I would have never expected to happen has apparently occurred during my sleep."

Her brows furrowed. "Hoe?"

"You'll find out in due time."

**XxxX**

Shaoran fumed. He stormed down the streets, narrowly avoiding the pedestrians that scuttled off the pavement in fear of the rampaging boy. He could hear Meiling's hurried footsteps behind him,her voice calling out for him to stop. He blocked it out, blocked everything out. He mind was racing, as was his heart. Hot fury coursed through his veins.

He was angry at being played with by that guy – that _Eriol_. He was angry at his lacking skills in English, which caused him to be led around by the nose like an idiot. He was angry that he had been made a fool in front of all the students, in front of Meiling and in front of- …

He gave a frustrated growl, punching a lamppost in agitation.

Who was that man? Why was his magic so powerful? Why did it run through his body like liquid gold – so refined and so strong? How did Sakura know him? Were they close? They must be. She had called him by his name so intimately. She had only called someone by their name like that with -…

He rose a fist to strike the lamppost again, only for it to be caught before it landed on the metal pole. He looked up angrily, growling at the person who dared intrude on his venting of frustration.

"Oi, kid, you might hurt someone like that," a bored, deep voice sounded above him. Japanese.

He hated the very language.

"Shut up," He snapped back, pulling his hand away.

The man grabbed onto his wrist again, turning him around. "What? What did you say to me? I'm your senior, _boy_."

Shaoran scoffed. "And so?"

There was a moment of silence. The grip on his wrist tightened until it was bordering painful.

"Touya, just let him go. I'm sure he didn't mean it," a softer male chided.

Touya? As in, that Touya? The brother of -…

"Tch. Fine, you're off the hook, _gaki_. Make sure your parents teach you manners before you leave the house the next time."

It stung a nerve. Lashing out, he snapped back, "Yeah, like you had any proper parents to teach you anything about treating others."

The grip on his wrist that was slowly relaxing suddenly tightened, cutting off the circulation in his hand completely. He gritted his teeth. That man had a strong grip.

"What the hell did you just say?" He was shook violently by the man jerking his wrist.

"Hey! Hey, stop it!"

God, even Meiling was joining in. He just wanted to be alone, for god's sake!

"You know this kid?"

"He – he's my cousin!" Meiling pried Shaoran's hand away, stepping in between them.

"Go away, Meiling," He shoved her to the side, walking away.

He was immediately grabbed by the shoulder and pulled back.

"That's no way to treat a lady. Apologise. Immediately." The softer voice chided. The grip on his shoulder was surprisingly tight and painful. He grabbed the hand by the wrist and pulled it off, pushing him back.

"Like you have any idea how to treat a lady," he retorted. He was angry. Angry at her, angry at her brother, angry at Meiling, and angry at him – the one who had rejected her right in front of the school gates. It was confusing, unnerving and unexplainable.

"What do you-"

"You know what I mean. After you outright rejected her for her brother."

"…I can't string her along. It was the right thing to do. She'll understand and move on, like any other girl."

"Sakura isn't an ordinary girl. She's the goddamn Card-"

"Gaki!"

He was silenced by a strong grip on his wrist.

"Stop it Touya. It seems like you've left out something in your story. What exactly did he try to say?" His voice was cold.

Shaoran snatched his wrist away. "Sakura is the Cardmistress. And I'm surprised you didn't know that. After all, aren't you supposed to be close?"

"N-no, we're not. I didn't know she existed until… I… wait…"

"Yuki?"

"We first met in your house, Touya."

"I introduced her to you when you moved in with us, remember?"

"No. It was in the… yellow house… She was in the elementary school uniform…"

Shaoran didn't know what was going on inside the man's head, but he could feel magic shifting inside the man's body. Something that was deeply rooted was coming apart and was tearing at the seams. It was powerful, ancient magic.

Shaoran took a step back.

Just who were these people? Why were the people around Sakura all so powerful? So magical?

His thoughts were interrupted by an ominous feeling. He stiffened, remembering the dark presence easily.

Kaoru was here.

**XxxX**

She tossed the sheets aside. Her eyes narrowed.

…He wasn't there. He was never there.

Where did he go?

She knew. If it was one place he had to go, if it was one place he would rush to, it would be –

There was a stab of pain in her chest.

She was still… second place.

**XxxX**

**I… have reappeared. It's been months since I last updated and for that, I'm really sorry. School has been iufrnbjhbgjnfh (if you get what I mean) and spare time and energy doesn't come often enough for me to establish a writing schedule thingy so that I can churn out a new chapter for you all…**

**On another note, this story is quickly reaching the end. I think another two chapters would wrap up this story nicely and maybe if I have the time and inspiration, a little epilogue at the end of it all. Thanks to everyone who has been with me from the start. I'll do my best to make the last two chapters awesome~**


	18. Chapter 18

**Black World's God**

**Chapter 18**

_I'm sorry, my dearest friend._

_But this ends today._

**XxxX**

"…Interesting…" Eriol set down his chopsticks, lacing his hands together and resting them on the table. His dark blue eyes were deep in thought. "But even if what Void told you is true… it doesn't solve the problem. How are we going to deal with him?"

Sakura pulled out her key from under her shirt, fingering the small item.

"I guess… we'll just go for it."

Eriol's eyebrow twitched. "No battle plan? No strategies? Just… attack?"

Sakura blushed and looked down. "Well… I do have an inkling of how to take him down but…" She knew a weakness… but whether she would be able to take advantage of it…

Eriol sighed, hanging his head. "Kaoru is smart. He has decades of planning and experience over you. And furthermore… just power won't do. You may be the strongest sorceress in the world, magically, but that won't be enough to deal with a seasoned sorcerer like Kaoru. Especially not with the one that I personally trained with and taught a few tricks of my own. And what's more… Kaoru's specialization… is nothing like what you've seen or dealt with before."

"He specializes in illusions and hypnotism, isn't it?" She shuddered at the memory of what he had done to Rika, to Terada-sensei, to Eriol and to Tomoyo. Playing with another's mind… it was just despicable.

Eriol chuckled darkly. "Contrary to what you believe, mind manipulation was one of the easiest braches of magic back in my days. It died out after the question of ethics but… even now, I can perform it with ease and I'm sure you could too, even without any specialized training. No, he specializes in something different. Something… I regret introducing him to."

Sakura stiffened.

"What?" She breathed out, fearing the answer.

"I think you know already. After all, Void did tell you… how demanding a spell of that magnitude is, even with the tapping of the dark side of magic."

Just then, a wave of darkness enveloped the city.

**XxxX**

"Really… that kid…"

Touya rubbed the back of his head. He was pissed off at the attitude of the Chinese brat, but at the same time, he couldn't shake off the overwhelming ominous feeling that plagued him. The air felt heavy and it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe.

Yukito laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, turning him around to examine his face. "You're pale. Is something wrong?"

Ah, that's right. Even if Yukito is… was… magical, he was just an ordinary human right now. Just like how he had desired him to be. Free, uninhibited from the duties and responsibilities. Just…. Ignorant to all the magical things that happens around him. Even he was in the loop, his involvement would stay just at that as he had no way of sensing magic.

"I'm feeling a bit… unwell," he said, taking his partner's hand. "Let's get back to the hotel, shall we?"

At the back of his mind, he wondered what was going on. And knowing his sister, she would probably be heading right into the middle of it already.

He shook his head to clear his mind of those thought. He had more pressing things to deal with. Such as the person beside him.

**XxxX**

She stood up, pocketing her key.

"I have to go."

Eriol stood up as well.

"I will go as well. Let's hurry."

Sakura shook her head, pushing him back down. "You can't. You woke up just weeks ago and you haven't recovered fully. You're in no condition to fight Kaoru."

Eriol's eyes were full of indignation and reluctance.

"And besides, his target is you. If you come now, you'll only be a liability."

Her words were biting but he knew they were true. Kaoru was on a mission to exact vengeance on him, the Cards, and everything and everyone that had to do with it. If he went now, in his present condition…

Eriol dropped his head into his hands. "I can't let you go alone."

Sakura's warm hands touched his cheek, bringing his head to look up at her determined and resolute emerald eyes.

"I'm not alone. I'm with the Cards, all which are hoping for his redemption. They may be under me, but the days they spent with you will never be erased. Don't worry. We'll win. Everything will be alright."

_Everything will be alright._

How long has it been since she last uttered those word? He couldn't even remember.

"And besides, you have something you need to do as well."

And with that, she was gone.

**XxxX**

"I'm surprised. You came alone."

She pulled her key out from her pocket, pressing it to her lips. She took long strides up to him, stopping and leaving just a few meters in between them. The grassy field he had chosen to settle this in was wide and open and far enough from the city to ensure that no one would be able to see them.

Kaoru looked haggard.

His kimono seemed to hang off his think frame loosely and his long hair was thin and limp. Her eyes roved over the glazed chocolate eyes, the last vestiges of fire burning them were burning with hate and anger. His eyes were sunken in and framed with dark eyebags.

"…This is something I have to settle myself, for everyone else," She said. The wind billowed in the field. Her voice was drowned off by the howling wind, but she was sure he heard her.

"Naïve. A little girl like you would never beat me alone," He sneered.

She contemplated his words silently, before quietly saying, "Perhaps. But I'm not alone. Not anymore." She closed her eyes and spread her arms, allowing her magic to flare. It was something she had not done often in the past few years but it was a movement that she had engraved into her body through those 2 years of card capturing. The key in her hands levitated and spun in between her spread arms and her magical circle drew itself out under her, glowing golden lines drawing on the ground until a large circle with a star, sun and moon drawn inside, was formed.

"Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me. I, Sakura, command you under our contract. Release!"

There was a flash of white and her key expanded, forming a staff in her arms. At the same time, 52 cards formed in a circle around her. She felt the 53rd card slip into her pocket, but she paid no heed to it. She held out a hand, allowing the cards to fall into a deck on her palm.

Kaoru sneered at the sight of the cards. "I see you gave them a horrendous colour," His eyes seemed to be slightly revitalised with hate.

"Really? I find it a cheerful colour," She closed her hand and the cards disappeared, in wait for her to call upon them.

"Tch. Enough talking." He raised a hand, a thin, bony hand.

She raised her staff, magic buzzing around her.

They clashed.

**XxxX**

The moment the first burst of offensive magic was felt, Eriol knew exactly what he had to do.

He got up quickly, leaving the warm confines of the dumpling shop and out into the cold windy streets. The sky was gradually darkening and it would soon be night. He looked up. A full moon.

A full moon meant that someone that depended heavily on the darker aspects of magic would be in the advantage. But Sakura harnessed the power of the stars – it was a sun that shone even in the darkness. The darker the sky, the brighter she shined.

No amount of darkness would be able to put out her light.

He glanced at the window of a shop, pausing slightly. It was an antique shop, with many trinkets and objects, big and small, crammed into the tiny room. Without hesitation, he entered the shop and walked up to the third mirror he saw, breathing into it and wiping off the condensation that appeared on the shiny surface, revealing a pristine surface. There was no reflection in the mirror, but instead a grey void on the other end. Nostalgia filled him as he pressed a hand to the cold surface.

"…Are you there, Yuko?"

**XxxX**

"He's a skilled swordsman," Sakura commented between pants. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, fighting the fatigue in her arms and legs. Her sword was hanging loosely in her hand.

The field they were in was savaged mercilessly by their combined magical and sword attacks. Deep gorged were made in the soft dirt, some deep enough to become trenches. Water that had been conjured somewhere through their fight had permeated the ground, making the ground muddy and hard to move around in. Sakura's legs trembled from the strain of running around. She wouldn't last long, physically.

'_Just hang in there. Just wait for it.'_

"I know," She whispered to herself, slowly straightening up. From a distance away, Kaoru appraised her silently. His chocolate brown eyes were cold, yet they still showed exhaustion. He was in no better shape than her. Now that physical attacks would only be a matter of endurance, they had to step up the game.

"I must admit… for a little girl you have good skills," Kaoru banished his katana. "Especially… with only one leg."

"I have two legs, thank you," Sakura retorted. _'We were right. This… this is his remuneration!'_

Kaoru narrowed his eyes. "…Cheeky girl. It's about time you shut up."

He raised a hand. Sakura's eyes widened, feeling the dark magic swirl around his hand.

"…No conduit?" She gasped softly. "He's channelling magic… through his body?"

Doing magic without a conduit was taxing, and above all, dangerous. Staffs and other magical equipment served as a conductor for their magic, allowing them to channel raw energy and mould it as they wish. Even she herself relied on channelling magic through the cards when she wasn't using her staff. Channelling raw energy through your own body, without proper skills, could lead to a gruesome and painful outcome. A single slip and the magic could rip through your body, causing irreparable harm to the body.

Kaoru let out a smirk.

Her eyes darted around. It was a strange sense of blindness. She couldn't see what he was about to cast. Her sword transformed back into her staff and she poised it, ready to react to whatever comes next.

"This is the end, little girl," He waved his hand, and a burst of dark magic erupted.

Sakura took a step back as the world slowly turned dark. As if a black curtain was slowly forming around her, the world was darkening around her. She looked around, seeing only and endless black abyss around her. She took another step back. She couldn't hear her own footstep. She felt her throat vibrate yet there was no sound. She reached up to touch her own face, yet she couldn't even see her own fingers.

It was… a black world…

**XxxX**

"_No matter what I try, I still can't get something to work for me!"_

_He threw the wooden stick across the room. It shattered into splinters, the little gems adorning it cracking into pieces. With a frustrated shout, he kicked the wall._

"_Patience, my friend."_

"_I've been trying this for over a year! Nothing works!"_

_His friend stood up from his armchair. "Perhaps you're not destined for a staff."_

"_Then what, a ribbon like your Chinese who-"_

"_Kaoru. Don't disrespect her."_

"…_Tch."_

"_What I was trying to say… is that perhaps you're not destined to use a conduit."_

"_Then what? I remain a half sorcerer the rest of my life? I remain crippled and weak?"_

"…_Patience." He sighed._

_He regretted it immediately, taking a deep breath to calm his raging anger. "…Sorry."_

"_Thought it is discourage, it is still possible. You need find a conduit. You yourself are a conduit. A natural conduit."_

"_Are you crazy? You know how dangerous that is!"_

"_True. It has its limitations. You need years upon years of training. Your concentration must be unparalleled. Your body needs to be honed… And you can never channel too much magic or you might just kill yourself. But don't forget. Magic comes from both within you and from the environment. While you seem to be drawing magic from the environment, you could also be tapping into your reserved. While you might be forming magic in your hands, it's actually the magic within your heart that is forming the true attack. The body is both the spear and the shield."_

_He scowled. "And I blow myself up trying to achieved that?"_

"_You won't." A smile. "Because I'll be there to help you."_

**XxxX**

He stopped at the edge of the field. The ground felt wet and soft under his shoes. The malevolent energy swirling around the field was overwhelming, and much unlike what he had experienced before in Hong Kong. It made him sick to the stomach and he wanted nothing more than to turn around and run the other way, away from the tainting of dread and coldness. But he stood his ground. Even though he couldn't see, he could sense the person in the midst of the black mass, standing in the very heart of the dark magic. The person's presence was one he would never forget.

Killing his father, taking his eyes… he would never forgive him. He would forever despise that man, even in death. The rage and anger pent up from years ago surged within him. Years of pain and resentment, the frustration and anger at being handicapped… He gritted his teeth. This man's life was his to take.

"You… YOU!" He let out a roar, releasing his sword and pulling out an ofuda. "Raitei Shorai!" The rage in him coursed through his veins like fire and he let out a burst of magic, aiming it right at that man. The man moved away, but the lightning struck the wet ground and sent electricity sparking up the man's legs. He could hear the splash of the man's knees hitting the muddy ground and he let out a smirk. He charged forward, swinging his sword forward to bring the man's life to an end.

"STOP!"

**XxxX**

"Silly boy. Falling prey to my illusion so easily…" Kaoru scoffed, coldly eyeing the silvery haired being.

Yue had his arm wrapped around the boy's neck, pulling him away from the black mass that was covering his Master. The Li heir struggled, but even his well built body was no match for the Moon Guardian. Yue frowned, snapping his fingers and sending a spark of magic to the boy's head to dispel the illusion. Instantly, he stopped struggling, breathing hard as he shook his head in disorientation.

"I must admit… I expected more. For someone that cannot fall prey to visual illusions… and relies so heavily on his sensory abilities… you'd think he wouldn't be that easy of a prey. Pity." Kaoru shook his head. Inwardly, Yue agreed with him. This… _boy_ had very nearly killed his Master in a fit of rage, failing to keep his calm in the midst of a dangerous enemy. But he kept it within him, deciding not to voice his honest opinion. It was not his place.

Yue's cold hand touched the boy's temple. "Have you regained your senses, Li Shaoran?"

The boy nodded, breathing ragged.

"Who… who did I… just attack?"

Yue appraised him silently.

"Who else… other than Sakura?" He replied softly, releasing the boy and letting him stumble to the ground.

The boy drew in a sharp gasp.

Kaoru appraised them silently. Yue raised his hands, ice crystals already forming around him. He had to buy time. He had to buy all the time he could, and he was pulling no stops to get what he needed.

"Foolish Guardian. Do you really think that you could stand again me?" Kaoru raised his hands. Yue could sense the dark magic swirling around him. He could also feel it tingling against his senses and shimmering cloak of magic that was enveloping the area. He was manipulating the natural magic around the area to his will, corrupting it and tainting it with his dark magic. Yue felt sickened, but he fought against his instincts to leave the taint and the darkness. He had to stay. He had to protect his Master. He had to protect Sakura.

"…Do you still remember what Clow said?" Kaoru snarled at the mention of the name, but Yue went on, "Magic… is never stagnant. I… We… have changed since you last met us. We will not fall to you."

Kaoru clenched his fists. "We'll see about that."

Dark bolts of electricity shot down from the sky.

**XxxX**

Sakura looked around. She was surrounded by darkness. It was as she had expected… A Black World.

'_We were right.'_

"Yes… Somehow, Kaoru managed to create a dimension of his own. It's beyond amazing… albeit how void it is," Sakura bent down to touch the floor, only for her fingers to slip past the murky darkness. The dimension was cold and dark, and she couldn't see anything at all, apart from her own body. But then again, that is what a Black Dimension is.

'…_You are awfully calm.'_

Sakura brushed back a stray lock of hair, looking around. The action in itself was pointless but…

'_You do know that only an outsider is able to break the Black Dimension, right? Unless the caster releases the spell… unless someone interferes… you're trapped.'_

"I don't find that a problem. Eriol will probably deal with it. In the meantime, Yue and Keroberos is out there stalling for time. This gives us time to regroup." She sat down, tapping her staff against her knee. For what reason had he imprisoned her here? If his target was Eriol, then it would make sense for him to incapacitate her before moving onto Eriol but… something just didn't feel right. Was her intuition wrong?

'…_If Kaoru really is that powerful, even Yue-sama won't be able to hold him off.'_

"Don't be so pessimistic, Void." Sakura gave a small chuckle. "After all, we do have a trump card."

'_And that is?'_

"Kaoru is one person. We… we are fifty three plus two plus one."

**XxxX**

"Yue!"

The silver haired guardian barely looked up as he narrowly dodged a bolt of lightning from the man.

The winged beast landed next to the panting man. It appraised him silently, noting that he was still unscathed but was visibly worn from the attacks. Keroberos narrowed its eyes, turning its attention to the sallow faced man.

"And what is this? The ugly beast that Clow took in?" Kaoru's sneer made his face, if possible, even more ugly and twisted than it already was. Keroberos let out a growl, claws lengthening and drawing into the muddy ground.

"Keep your calm, Keroberos," Yue's soft voice chided sharply.

Keroberos snarled, baring its canines. "I know. It's just that… this guy ticks me off."

Yue wiped the sweat off his brow, raising his hands once more and summoning his crystals.

"Focus on the battle, Keroberos."

"Tch. You don't have to tell me that. I'm well aware of who is the enemy."

"That may be so, but you fail to realise that our purpose is greater than just fighting the enemy."

Keroberos glanced down at the black mass in the centre of the field. "…Just what is Kaoru thinking?"

Yue sent a flurry of crystals to deflect the lightning bolts from Kaoru. The crystals met the bolts halfway and shattered into dust, shimmering particles scattering back into the environment. The full moon hanging above their heads resonated with his magic, amplifying it. Never had he felt so much power coursing through his veins. He clenched his fists, vowing not to be intoxicated with the allure of the moon's powers. It was not the time and place. He had no right.

"Regardless of what he's planning… our duty is to find out and fulfil our responsibilities."

His silver eyes glinted.

"Even if he's Clow's best friend… we shall have no mercy!"

**XxxX**

Eriol leant against the wall, facing the image of the beautiful woman in the mirror. She had long, long black hair that flowed past her waist like a waterfall. It contrasted with her pale, papery white skin that looked far too pale to be considered healthy. He met her eyes, glowing red eyes that held no shock, only calm acceptance in them.

"…It's been a while, Yuko. My… friend."

"_Indeed… Clow."_

"…I go by Eriol now."

"_Is that so?" _Her eyes bore deep into his. Even now… even after so many years of being apart… She didn't change one bit. He smiled gently.

"I have a wish to make."

"_Oh? Something that even you cannot fulfil yourself?"_

Eriol chuckled, rubbing his chest where he felt the protruding scars. "I am in no condition to be casting magic of that magnitude. You're the only one I can entrust this task to, Yuko."

"_Like always, it will come with a price."_

"I am well aware of that."

"_And I demand it now."_

Eriol's smile became strained.

"I'm afraid I'm rather pressed for time."

He flinched at her disapproving face. The woman shifted in her cumbersome kimono – one that had a beautiful obi shaped like a butterfly.

"_I see. Then I will take a small portion of the price now and save the rest to be taken at a more convenient time."_

"That would be much appreciated."

"_Then tell me,… Hiiragizawa Eriol. Who are you exactly, and what is Kaoru to you?"_

Eriol's smile dropped completely.

"_I won't grant your wish until the price has been received."_

**XxxX**

Sakura opened her eyes, looking up and meeting the eyes of the newcomer.

"…I see you've made yourself comfortable."

Sakura slowly stood up. "In a world of sensory deprivation, I wouldn't classify anything as being remotely comfortable."

The man cocked his head to the side, straggly locks of hair falling over his face. He looked emaciated, malnourished. She could see the dark magic wrecking his body from within. She could barely imagine the amount of pain he must be going through.

"I believe we can come to a compromise." He took a step forward, bring himself closer to her. She eyed him carefully, keeping her senses on the lookout for any potential magical attacks. Kaoru took another step closer, continuing on, "You see… I believe that we can come to terms that will bring about mutual benefits."

"Oh?" He was negotiating now. But what did she have that he didn't? More specifically, what did she have that _he _wanted?

"You see… I know you didn't come here to finish me off."

Her breath hitched.

'_Master? What does he mean?'_

"I've seen your heart, Kinomoto Sakura. I know… that you came here to die."

**XxxX**

Yukito stopped in his tracks.

Touya turned around, brows furrowed. He tugged on Yukito's hand, which was firmly clasped in his larger, warmer one. "Come on, Yuki. Let's get back to the hotel."

Yukito's grey eyes met his. There was something off in the man's gaze. It was as though… he was not really there.

"…Yu…ki?"

The man collapsed.

**XxxX**

"…What do you mean?" She said quietly.

Kaoru stared back at her, chocolate brown eyes boring deep into her. He smirked, the corner of his lip twisting into an ugly smirk. "I know that you don't really want to go on. Why would you? Your best friend left you for the friend that eventually cost you the life of your father. Your only love chose your brother over you. Even the brat – he turned his back on you over some petty truth. You aren't loved, Kinomoto Sakura. And you hate it."

Her fist clenched.

"So you decided to leave it all behind. You came to China to avoid reality, but reality followed you here. And now, you just want to leave it all behind for good. I know you, Kinomoto Sakura. And I can grant you your dearest wish."

He raised a hand, offering it to her.

"Only I can grant you your wish."

**XxxX**

Yue dropped to his knees, wings fading. He clutched his chest, wheezing heavily.

Keroberos dropped down beside the guardian, using his wings to bat off the dark bolt of lightning from Kaoru. He winced at the impact, feeling the flesh beneath the charred feathers burn from both the electricity and the dark magic. "Yue! Oi! Are you okay?!"

Yue shook his head, choking out, "My magic… my magic is fading…"

Keroberos' eyes widened.

"Sakura!"

**XxxX**

Yuko slowly looked up. She contemplated his words. It was not that it was unsatisfactory. She simply shocked at the answer she received.

"…You've changed… Clow. No… It's Eriol now, isn't it?" She unfolded her arms, facing him properly.

The blue headed teen smiled back, though his smile was laced with something akin to bitter happiness.

"You said it before. Meetings have the power to change people. We only change after meeting someone. That someone simply made a big impact in me."

"And that someone… is it Kinomoto Sakura or Daidouji Tomoyo?"

The two important women in his life.

"…It's neither."

**XxxX**

"If you take my hand, I will trap you in this dimension for eternity. I will take you existence instead, and return to reality in your place. Here, you will be safe and sheltered. You will finally leave reality behind. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Kaoru beckoned her forward.

Sakura stared at his hand. Her fist was clenched tightly. It was clenched so tight that her knuckles were white and she could feel sharp pricks of pain in her palm.

'_Master… what is he talking about? Master!'_

She shut out the voices in her head. The voices of her cards.

Oh, how selfish she was. To think this man who had seen her less than a dozen times had seen right through her when the people around her couldn't. To think she had walked right into his trap, willingly, no matter how subconsciously it was. To think she had harboured such selfish desires within her all this time… to leave behind everything and just lie down and disappear.

He was right. It was what she really wanted.

She took a step forward. And another. And another, until she was right up in front of him.

"Kinomoto Sakura… come, and let me fulfil your wish."

He reached for her hand.

**XxxX**

Yuko raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? So who was it?"

"Kinomoto Fujitaka."

The boy remained smiling throughout. It unnerved her slightly.

"Kinomoto… Fujitaka… The other reincarnation of Clow Reed… and Kinomoto Sakura's father? The very one whose soul is now residing within you?"

"The very same." He pressed a palm to his chest, right above where his heart was located.

"…Why?"

"Because his intruding existence… made me realise that I'm not Clow. I used to think that I was Clow Reed, greatest sorcerer of all time. I personified Clow. His mischievous side, his intelligent side… but I was wrong. Because Clow Reed is much more than that. He loves. He feels pain. He regrets," Eriol's eyes darkened. "What I was... was a two-dimensional Clow Reed, when he was actually three-dimensional. My whole life was a lie."

She felt a stab of pain in her heart.

"I am not Clow Reed. I merely thought I was. After taking in Kinomoto Fujitaka… the other half of Clow Reed… I finally understood this."

She didn't want to hear this.

"Because Clow Reed is dead. And he will remain dead. I am Hiiragizawa Eriol, just a boy who has a portion of Clow Reed's memories. After taking in Fujitaka-san, after understanding Clow Reed fully… I realise I am not him, nor will I ever be him."

His eyes met hers. He silently pleaded for him to stop.

"…Clow is dead, Yuko. All that's left is his legacy."

He reached forward and touched the mirror, the invisible barrier in between the both of them.

"Let him go."

A tear fell from her eyes.

"…Your wish has been granted."

**XxxX**

"No."

She slapped his hand away and stepped back.

Kaoru's face was filled with shock, before it was clouded with confusion and then twisted with cold fury.

"Why?"

Why indeed.

"…I am not worthy of such a merciful end. To simply curl up and disappear? That's hardly going to cover all these dark thoughts I've had. I deserve a much more painful end than this," She took another step back. Her hand stung with pain. She could feel warm blood dripping between her clenched fingers. "And besides… even if I don't want to live anymore, I can't just die like that. There are people… whose existence is tied to mine. I can't rob them of their existences just because I decided to curl up and die!"

She raised her bright emerald gaze to his.

"There are things that I need to do before I die. I won't let you take me away just like this!"

He snarled. "Then I'll just take you by force!"

He reached for her.

The black world erupted in a burst of light.

**XxxX**

Shaoran felt cold. He was soaked to the bone from the relentless downpour, and fatigued from fighting. His sword hung limply in his hands.

This is the end. In the end, the Clan Heir was amounted to nothing more than just a weak boy that couldn't match up to others without help. He wondered if his mother was disappointed in him. But then again, he would never know.

The two guardians were already down. The human-like one, Yue, had collapsed halfway through. His magical force pulsed weakly. He was on the verge of disappearing. The other one, Keroberos, had exhausted himself from defending both Yue's unconscious body and the dark mass that was Sakura. He too was lying unconscious on the muddy floor.

This was the end.

He was going to die.

"Any last words, brat? I would so dearly like to take your arms as well, if you don't mind."

He could hear the splatter of mud as the man made his way across the torn field to where he was kneeling. He could hear the sound of a blade cutting through wind, and he could sense the magic that embedded the sword that was now raised above his head, ready to be swung down at any moment.

He muttered something under his breath.

"What was that, brat?"

"Go to hell," He spat.

There was a chuckle.

"I would, if I could."

And death came speeding down towards him.

**XxxX**

**To be continued.**

**And… once again, I have let you all down by taking this long to update. The past few months have been crazy. I had major exams one after another. The school was like: "Oh, let us reduce your stress by spacing your finals a few weeks apart. This gives you time to study." In reality, all it did was prolong the suffering.**

**I'm not sure how long the next chapter will take. I really tried to finish this one quickly, but at the same time I was trying out something different. It didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to be, but it was okay enough.**

**And to be honest, I was completely enraptured with the talent that is Song Joong Ki for the past few days. I have been watching The Innocent Man nonstop, only pausing to force myself to write a bit here and there or to let the show buffer while I watch Running Man which also stars Joong Ki for the first 40 or so episodes. I am such a slacker. I am sorry. *bows 90 degrees***

**I hope you like this chapter! Please do leave a review if you can spare the time. Because this was a bit rushed, I might have made a few mistakes here and there and which I missed out in the proof-reading (which normally takes a few days). If there are any mistakes, please do tell me! Thanks again!**


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